Rekindling the Past
by Breezylyn Fayne
Summary: When Natsume's parents engage him to Mikan, he decides that it's the perfect opportunity to get revenge on her for the past. Fate, however, has other plans for the two when a merciless snowstorm results in them staying in a cabin together. Will their love finally rekindle after so many years? Natsume x Mikan (AU), with minor Rukaru!
1. Revenge

Hello! I'd like to start by saying thank you for taking the time to click on this fic! It's mainly Natsume x Mikan, with a bit of Rukaru thrown in. There are elements of the story that come from the manga Kitchen Princess (and maybe a little from Yumeiro Patissiere as well honestly), and I'd like to start by saying that I don't own either of these amazing franchises in any way shape or form! I also don't own Gakuen Alice!

This first chapter starts with a flashback in Mikan's POV, and the rest is in Natsume's POV! I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

 _Goodbye. That was the only word that registered in my brain-Natsume never signed his letters with goodbye. He never signed them with anything. When I asked the others about why he could have possibly decided to sign the letter this time, they told me his secret. Natsume was leaving and this letter, coupled with his gift, was his way of telling me._

 _Goodbye...Goodbye….GOODBYE? That jerk! Couldn't he think of anything else to say to me? But….the gift that he gave me along with the note is gorgeous. Even now as I'm running to find him, the diamond-like stud in the middle of the necklace is shining brilliantly. The chain comprised of a pendant in the shape of a sakura blossom and was lined in gold. The short stem coming off the pink flower was decorated with pearls, and in the middle of the blossom was the diamond. Natsume has always managed to make me speechless, yet this time he did it without even being there._

 _I kept on running, clutching the crumpled note in my hand when I finally saw Natsume. Except he wasn't alone, and I could only stare horrified and confused at what was happening before my eyes. Tears dotted my eyes and I quickly whirled around, unable to bear the sight that was now ingrained in my vision. All I could picture was him, and with my only thoughts circling around escaping as fast as possible, I didn't hear the blaring horn fast enough to react. There was an intense pain in my body, and something warm and slimy pooled around me. The voices of random strangers called out frantically. That was when everything finally faded to black._

* * *

"Natsume! The flight to America is boarding now, so let's go!"

"Hn," I lazily replied to Ruka's frantic voice, before opening my eyes and staring at Ruka. He really does hate being late, doesn't he? Ah well, can't blame him-I've been known to fire a few employees myself for consistently being tardy.

"Natsume, come on. After we take over Serio Industries I have to get back to Hotaru. The announcement is in a week, so we don't have extra time to miss our flights. You can sleep on the plane," Ruka irately replied to my casual behavior.

"Hn...if that happens, then you'll just be a little late Ruka. The ice witch can wait a little."

"Please, Natsume. You and I both know that if I show up late she'll castrate me before sending me flying with that stupid gun of hers. Or worse-she'll cancel the engagement."

"Tch and you're worried about that? I would be doing you a favor, buddy."

"Look, I know you and Hotaru have your differences. But I love her and am finally engaged to her. So, and I mean this in the nicest way, shut the hell up about her!"

I smirked before staring at the dwindling line. It seems that my best friend has finally grown a backbone. Although he is wrong about one thing-I may pretend to hate Imai, but all said and done she is my cousin. I suppose you could say we have a mutual understanding and respect for each other. Except in regards to one situation….With that thought, I finally stood up and grabbed my laptop bag before standing in line for the flight. Ruka stood in front of me, constantly checking his watch to make sure the flight wouldn't be delayed. Honestly, Imai has changed him from the calm, albeit shy boy who used to follow me everywhere into this strong person who only seems to fear his fiancee.

Fiancee….that's right. I suppose I'm going to have one now as well. And it's the perfect opportunity to get my revenge on her. Mikan Sakura has no idea what's waiting for her. She'll rue the day she abandoned me and my whole family.

"Sir? SIR? Excuse me? Are you going to hand me your boarding pass or not? Other people are waiting to board the flight you know." I quickly glanced up to see the impatient flight lady with a single one of her perfectly waxed eyebrows raised at me. A glare made its way onto my face as I handed her the stupid paper-how dare she behave so rudely with me? Doesn't she realize that Natsume Hyuuga is standing in front of her?

"Err…. thank you, and have a… wonderful flight?" The lady meekly responded, shrinking away from my glare. I walked on through the tunnel and onto the plane before sitting in first class. I could sense Ruka staring at me disapprovingly from the adjacent seat.

"What?" I asked, irritably.

"Nothing. Just… Why so vicious towards the check-in agent? She didn't do anything to you really-at least not enough to get such a cold glare."

"Shut up Ruka."

"Heh, I see. You were thinking about Mikan again, weren't you? That's the only thing that could put you in such a vile mood. You know… you never did explain how she of all people ended up becoming your fiancee Natsume."

"Please. Didn't the ice queen tell you? She's best friends with that A-grade bitch after all."

"No actually, Hotaru refused to tell me. So you better tell me now!"

I sighed, knowing Ruka wouldn't give up until I explained the arrangement. With that, I proceeded to tell him about the conversation with my parents this morning.

* * *

" _Natsume, dear. Do sit down for a moment. We have some...news for you." Kaoru insisted as she noticed her son get up from the breakfast table. I glanced up questioningly before sitting down next to Aoi again. My parents shared a nod before my father spoke up._

" _You're getting engaged Natsume. To Mikan Sakura, from the Sakura family." My eyes widened in shock, and it wasn't until Aoi started choking on her milk that I fully processed what my father just said. Engaged? Mikan...Mikan Sakura? The same Mikan from my childhood who betrayed me completely?_

" _Natsume, dear? Please say something." My mother anxiously murmured. I could feel all three of my family members staring at me, anticipating my reaction._

" _Is it the same one?" I angrily sneered-I had to double check first._

" _...Yes. Yuka and I recently had a talk and we thought since you were childhood friends maybe it would be alright…"_

" _Alright? ALRIGHT? Did you even THINK about what that bitch did to me? And not only her - Youichi too! That Bastard completely IGNORED Aoi and broke her heart. HOW could you engage ME to HER of all people?" I shouted, completely unaware of the shocked look in Aoi's eyes from seeing me lose my cool so easily. I just couldn't believe my parents would be insensitive enough to engage me to that woman of all people. Mikan Sakura, the girl everyone thinks is an angel. But I knew her true colors-she's nothing more than a two-faced banshee who leads everyone along on a string before dropping them when she's done._

" _Na-Na-Natsume I didn't mean to…" Kaoru stammered, clearly frightened by my outburst and language. I never swore in front of my parents._

" _NATSUME HYUUGA! Apologize this instant for your language! You will be engaged whether you like it or not! We need this for the benefit of the company. Only by merging with them and combining the shares can we grow further! Whatever happened in the past happened-don't dwell on it now" Ioran interrupted furiously._

" _HELL NO! I'm not going to marry her! Pick someone else who will benefit the company even more-that devil can go straight to hell for all I care! You don't command me or my life, and I refuse to even sully my eyes with the sight of that bitch, or her brother!"_

" _Nii-san… You don't have to worry about me. I'm completely over Youichi now," Aoi shyly interjected. I stared into her eyes, clearly seeing the lie in them. Only I knew how she still cried for that bastard from all the pain he gave her when he completely cut Aoi off. Hmmm….pain. The idea suddenly started churning in my head and I realized this was the perfect opportunity to exact my vengeance. After all, even god couldn't stop me from destroying the idiot who hurt my sister. Plus it would give me the chance to hurt Mikan Sakura the way she hurt me._

" _Natsume, even Aoi says it's ok. Look I know that your past with her is like a beautiful garden filled with weeds, but even then you don't know what actually happe-" Kaoru began before I interrupted her._

" _Fine."_

" _Fine?"_

" _Fine. I'll get engaged with her mom-but only for the sake of the company." And for my revenge, I thought deviously, a plan beginning to formulate._

" _OH! Wonderful Natsume! I thought it was going to take a lot more convincing, but I suppose you still love her don't you? Oh, I'd better go inform Yuka and Izumi right now! Your flight is going to leave soon also right Natsume? You'd better hurry up!" Kaoru happily exclaimed._

* * *

"And that's pretty much what happened Ruka."

"Natsume...I highly doubt your mom's theory about you accepting because you still love Mikan. So why did you really agree?" I glanced at Ruka before looking out the window. He was right about that. It wasn't love I felt for Mikan Sakura. It was absolute hatred. Hatred that was going to fuel my quest to make her life miserable. I smirked before finally answering Ruka's query.

"Let's just say that when I'm done with Mikan Sakura she'll wish she had never crossed paths again with Natsume Hyuuga."

Ruka simply scoffed before saying, "Natsume. I know what she did wasn't fair to you at all. But are you really going to go through with this? Why stay in the past; marrying her won't help anything. Auntie Kaoru and Uncle Ioran are also pretty understanding, so I'm sure if you keep insisting on not marrying her they'll agree."

"Sorry, Ruka. But I'm-"I broke off when the plane started jerking around. I swiftly glanced up towards the front with a glare.

"Excuse me, folks! But it appears that the weather conditions are only worsening. If I continue to fly on, there's a high chance we will crash in this storm. For this reason, and I realize that this may cause many of you inconveniences, I have to land this plane right now. We are currently flying above Greenland, and will therefore arrive at their airport. Representatives from our airlines will be waiting outside the gate; please ask them for help in scheduling another flight tomorrow if the weather lets up. Once again, I apologize for any problems this creates. However, safety is our utmost priority-you can't do anything if you're dead after all!" With that final horrendous announcement from our pilot, the plane began its descent into Greenland.

"Just great! I told you we couldn't have any delays or else I'd be late for the announcement! Hotaru's going to murder me Natsume! Why does fate have to be so cruel to me?!" Ruka began whining. I simply ignored his complaints and thought about what to do next. I suppose after we land we'll have to book a flight back to Japan so Ruka doesn't miss the announcement. After that, we can come back to America to deal with Serio Industries.

* * *

We finally landed and I headed away from a panicky Ruka by gate A46 towards the nearest flight representative.

"Excuse me, but when is the next flight back to Japan?" I asked, a bored note lacing my tone.

"Oh...let me check for you sir," the lady responded, clacking away at her computer. "It would appear in four days, sir! The weather is supposed to worsen in the next few days, so no flights will be coming or leaving the airport for a few days unfortunately. Shall I reserve one spot on for that flight?"

"Reserve two-Natsume Hyuuga and Ruka Nogi. Is there a place nearby we can stay until then?"

"HOTARU?!"

I immediately whirled around after hearing Ruka's surprised shout before the flight representative could answer me. There, in front of my eyes, was Hotaru arguing with another flight representative. She glanced up at Ruka, shock filling her eyes for a brief second before her emotionless facade resumed. She nonchalantly cocked an eyebrow at the two of us before walking over. And that was when I saw who was standing right behind her. Mikan Sakura.

* * *

Anyways! There's Chapter 1! I hope you all enjoyed it-I'll be posting the next chapter soon!

3 Breezylyn


	2. Encounter

Hello again! First off, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed and followed this story! It really means a lot to me, and I truly do appreciate it! Also, to Sweet Little-I hope this chapter was posted soon enough ;)!

The flashback is in Natsume's POV and the rest of it in Mikan's! I realized that I didn't give much background information in chapter one on the characters, so here's a little to go off of!

1\. Mikan, Natsume, Hotaru, Ruka, etc. are all around 20 years old in the present. In the flashbacks, they are probably around 11 or 12 years old!

2\. Aoi and Youichi are the same age in this fic, and I'm thinking 3-4 years younger than Natsume and Mikan.

3\. Natsume is now the head of Hyuuga Corp (creative, I know), and Hotaru the head of Imai Innovations. Mikan's family owns Sakura Corp, and I still have to come up with a name for Ruka's business haha…

Finally, the disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice, Kitchen Princess or Yumeiro Patissiere (or any of the recipes or ideas from those two franchises!). Although if I did, Henri-Sensei wouldn't be such a jerk to Tennouji-san! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

ENCOUNTER

* * *

" _Mommy Mommy! Pleaseeeeee?! Can we go to the ice cream parlor after story time today? I promise to be a good girl and not fight with anyone!"_

" _Hehe alright Mikan, if you promise. We can go for ice cream today."_

 _Tch. What a spoiled brat-she just has to promise such a stupid thing and her mom immediately agrees to get her ice cream? Even if I promised to take over the next three industries my mother would never take me out for ice cream. I frowned as I thought about my parents; no matter what I did it never seemed to please them. At the age of 12, I'm already considered a genius and have been praised by various adults for my achievements. But it means nothing-they never care. Not that it truly matters, at this point I've already given up all hope in my parents caring about me...but if I impress them enough they might finally give my sister a break. Every and any mistake I make they take it out on Aoi, as my "incentive" to do better the next time. She's the only person that matters to me, and as her older brother, I have to succeed every time so our parents don't make her cry. That's the only thing I can't stomach-my sister's tears._

 _I finally reached my destination in the library and grabbed a book on financial history. I quickly flipped through it, memorizing the whole thing before placing it back on the shelf. I reached for another book on the top 10 ways to take over a business, and once again memorized it. After repeating the process for about 20 minutes, I decided to take a break in the swivel chairs nearby. I reached for the manga I had grabbed before coming to this boring area of the library and began perusing it._

" _Ring Ring Ring." I glanced down about thirty minutes later at my loud cell phone-it was my father. He had sent a text warning me to come back home only after I came up with an effective strategy for dealing with the Takahashi's. With a deep sigh, I threw down my manga and thought of the problem at hand. The Takahashi's were known in the business world for their extreme investments, and they were currently interested in buying up all my shares in Kuro Neko Industries, the section of Hyuuga Corp that my father had given to me to grow as a test. The bankers told me yesterday that the best solution would be to collaborate with the Takahashi's-it would not only benefit me but also their company. My problem now is convincing the Takahashi group to collaborate with me and to prove that it is worth their time as well._

 _I got up, desperately thinking of a solution to the problem. If I didn't come up with something and go home tonight, Aoi was going to be in huge trouble. I swiftly headed towards the shelves once more, grabbing book after book in hope of finding some scrap of useful information. Just as I was reaching for Business: A Guide for Those in Desperate Times, a voice interrupted. _

" _What are you doing with all those boring books? I know! Why don't you come to story time with me? Ms. Maple is going to read us Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone today, and that's one of the coolest-"_

" _I don't have time for stories little girl. Now leave me alone," I coldly commanded. I turned around to peer at the distraction, only to be severely disappointed when I realized it was the ice cream brat from earlier. The girl was dressed in a bright yellow frock and carrying a tiny knapsack with her that had a picture of a dancing frog. Worst of all, however, were her twin pigtails that stuck out of the side of her heads like droopy rabbit ears. Put simply, she looked like a petulant five-year old child. I don't know why I was expecting something more extraordinary; perhaps it was because not many people would have been brave enough to interrupt Natsume Hyuuga in the midst of his work. Then again, this idiot wouldn't have a clue who I am._

 _The girl's cheeks began to puff out in irritation, and she pouted at me. "I am NOT a little girl! In fact, you're probably the same age as I am! And what do you mean you don't have time? Everybody has time for Harry Potter! Hey….I know who you are! You're that kid that Anna and Nono were talking about during the last story time-the one who comes to the library only to read boring financial books and manga. Honestly! Quit trying to spread rumors that you like these dull novels, or you won't ever make any friends! I mean it's obvious you hate them-or you wouldn't be flipping through them so quickly and would actually read them!"_

 _I scoffed. Friends? I don't have time for any of those apart from Ruka. He's the only friend I have or need. I glared at the girl before venomously responding, "Look here little girl. You might have a need to make multitudes of friends, but I'm not interested. I'm also not interested in you or your stupid Sorcerer's Rock so why don't you do us both a favor and get lost."_

" _YOU'RE SO RUDE! Besides! How could you even know if you're interested in Harry Potter if you've obviously never even read it? I'm sure it would be much better than what you're pretending to read right now! Why don't you just try it once? For my sake?" The girl heatedly retorted. I sighed in irritation before shutting the book and placing it back on the shelf._

" _First of all, I happen to have a perfect photographic memory so I actually am reading all these books. Second off, I still have 0 interest in attending your kindergarten story time; besides, some of us have work to do. Finally, why do you even care if I attend or not? My actions are of no concern to you, little girl," I slowly muttered. It was about then that I heard the sniffling, and was shocked to find the girl with tears in her eyes. "Why are you crying, little girl?" I alarmingly queried. Tears from any girl made me uncomfortable, as they reminded me of my previous failures in protecting Aoi._

" _I….I… I AM NOT CRYING! I'm just sad because you're always alone! I always see you at the library, but you never talk to anybody. I don't want anybody to spread rumors about you thinking you're better than the rest of us because I know you don't think that! I've seen you work super super hard, and seen how worried you get while working sometimes! So… Please… Just come join us for once…" The girl sniffed. Is this girl for real? She's never even met me, yet she's this concerned for me? The only other person in this entire world who has cared for me is Aoi, and yet this girl….so easily….I stared at her, observing how she had averted her gaze to the books beside me and was attempting to reign in her tears._

" _Alright little girl. Quit crying, I'll come with you to your stupid story time. But you should know: associating with me will only get you in trouble. Are you still willin-"_

" _YES! I DON'T CARE ABOUT WHAT ANYONE ELSE THINKS! Come on! Come on! Come on! They're gonna start in a few minutes!" With that, the strange girl snatched my arm and dragged me through the hallways. I blinked, stunned at how quickly her tears vanished to be replaced with a smile and could only smirk at the change. To think someone was this worried about me, and only because of rumors. Rumors… That's it! My smirk morphed into a grin as I realized that was the solution to the Takahashi problem. I'll propose starting a rumor in the market that Kuro Neko and the Takahashi Group are going to collaborate. Since both companies are well-known, our shares should immediately skyrocket just from the rumor, and then they'll realize collaboration is the best solution. After that, the actual collaboration can begin._

" _AHHH! You smiled! It's because you're actually really excited to be going to story time, isn't it? Ah, but you'll never admit it, I'm sure!" The girl suddenly burst out. I immediately wiped my grin off my face before cocking an eyebrow at her. What an idiot… but then, this is the idiot who helped me out of this problem. With that, we finally entered the library room for story time._

* * *

"What do you mean the flight's been canceled? Look here lady, I don't have time to deal with your nonsense! The announcement is happening soon, and I'm a very busy woman. So either put me on a flight that will get me to Japan or find me someone else who can." Hotaru deadpanned, in her trademark bored voice. Except this time it was tinged with pure rage, and I knew that any second now she was going to pull out the Baka gun.

"I….I….I...I'm so sorry ma'am! I promise I'll try my absolute best to find a flight. Please calm down!" The timid representative stuttered out, desperately clacking away at her computer. Based on her name tag, it would appear Sheila was a trainee for the airlines-poor thing, having to deal with Hotaru.

A deep sigh escaped from me as I saw Hotaru reach for the gun. I swiftly made my way over to the two of them and grabbed Hotaru before she could blast the scared flight representative sky high. "Thank you...Miss Sheila! We'll be right back; please tell us if you manage to find a flight!" I chirpily called behind me, attempting to diffuse the situation. We made our way to one of the nearby gates-A46 or something-and sat down. I quickly inched as far away from Hotaru and her murderous glare as possible in my seat, before reaching for my cell phone to inform my parents of the situation. All I wanted was a nice, peaceful trip with my best friend because it would probably be my last chance to travel alone with her since she's getting married. And...it resulted in us getting snowed in and stranded in Greenland. I glanced up at Hotaru, who was still fuming, before softly murmuring,

"At least the trip wasn't a complete waste! You procured the business deal, which was the main purpose of coming here! Also, we got to spend some time in the cabins, at the spa, skiing-it was super fun!"

"Yes, the trip was successful. However, the announcement is very soon, and if I don't show up it will tarnish the Imai reputation," Hotaru stoically replied.

A smirk made its way on my face. "Translation: Ruka will be extremely disappointed if you're not there. Don't worry Hotaru! We still have a few days-even if the weather makes us stay in Greenland for a little while longer, you can still make it on time!" Hotaru just glanced at me before rolling her eyes. We were silent for a little while longer as Hotaru opened her laptop to work on her latest business transaction most likely, and I thought about the Sweets and Eats competition coming up. The theme was to create a dessert that represents reflection, and if I wanted to fulfill my dream of becoming a patissier, I needed to win this. Reflection...maybe if I looked through the recipes that I've collected ever since I was a child, there might be an idea. Mmmmm I can't wait to make more sweets! Especially to taste them hahahahah!

BAKA BAKA BAKA!

"Neh, Baka. Quit drooling would you? I know you're probably thinking about that competition again. People are going to start staring at you if you keep up that expression." I glared up at Hotaru from my position sprawled on the floor before getting up and rubbing my aching head. I really have to get my hands on that gun and find a way to destroy it. Although, knowing Hotaru, she probably has an extra and another backup in case the extra breaks too.

"At least I'm not thinking about a boy! It's obvious how much you're missing Ruka," I goaded, a silly smile caressing my face. Ruka and Hotaru's relationship is so sweet! But the best part is getting to tease my normally impervious friend about Ruka.

Hotaru quickly turned away, but not before I caught the slight blush on her cheeks. I started giggling softly before she interrupted me. "I'm not the only one, Mikan, who's going to be getting engaged soon. Or did you forget about Natsume?"

My laughter died out as I recalled how my parents mercilessly engaged me to some random stranger. Hotaru suddenly sighed as she observed my stricken expression, before saying, "Mikan. The real reason you wanted to come on this trip wasn't because you thought it would be the last one with just us right? It was because you needed to get away from your parents. That's why I agreed to let you tag along. But once we go back, you're going to have to face this problem head on."

"I know Hotaru. That's why I'm so scared... I don't know what to do. On one hand, I truly don't want to be engaged to somebody I've never even seen. On the other, I have to do this for my parents. I can't bear to see my mom disappointed-you know that Hotaru! So it really doesn't matter what I want. Oh, Hotaru! What should I do?"

Hotaru simply shut her laptop before placing it back in her bag. She then grabbed my hand and squeezed it lightly. "At this point, it's best not to worry. You haven't even met the guy-Natsume, was it? For all you know, he could be an excellent person and easy to fall in love with. Give it a chance."

"Yeah...You're right. I've gotta keep a positive mind about this! After all, my mom's best friend's son has to be an amazing person! Although, don't you think it's kind of odd Hotaru? My mom never mentioned her best friend to me before, and now suddenly I'm engaged to her son!"

"Oh...Umm… Yeah, that is weird," Hotaru uncharacteristically muttered. I looked at her, only to realize she was avoiding my gaze. That's weird. She's only avoided my gaze like that once before, and that was right after the accident when I asked her about the Sakura pendant I was wearing right now. I don't even remember receiving it, but for some reason, it still remains my most precious treasure.

"Hotaru? Are you alright?" I asked, worried.

"Y..Yes, I'm fine Mikan. More importantly, you only agreed to marry Natsume because your parents must have said something to you, right? What did they say?" I could see that Hotaru was changing the subject, but I didn't want to push her for information she clearly didn't want to tell me. I guess that's just how she is-when she's ready to tell me, I'll find out. She was right about my parents coercing me into this marriage, though.

"They told me that it was my responsibility, as the next head of Sakura Corp, to marry someone who would benefit the business. That they've raised me so I could be free from the burdens of the company, but now it's finally time to grow up and accept the reality that comes with being the heir to such a powerful corporation. Oh Hotaru, I really thought I would always marry for love-ever since I was a kid. But this? I have to marry someone, and for the sake of the company as well as my parents," I sadly revealed. I could feel tears starting to sting at the tips of my eyes, and Hotaru simply reached over and patted my hair.

"You know, Mikan, things have a way of working out for the better. I'm sure fate is just trying to rekindle the past."

Rekindle the past? What the hell is she talking about? Before I could ask, however, Sheila finally came back over to us. Based on the fearful look on her face, I could only assume she didn't have good news. With a grimace, I decided to start the fire myself.

"Sheila! Did you find another plane to Japan?" I asked, forcing cheer into my voice and quickly wiping any remnants of my tears away.

"I….I...I AM SO SORRY! PLEASE DON'T GET ME FIRED! I COULDN'T FIND ANY PLANES LEAVING GREENLAND TO JAPAN FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS!" Sheila suddenly burst out. I immediately chanced a look at Hotaru, only to find her reaching for her Baka gun. Oh, this was NOT good. Think Think THINK MIKAN! How do I stop Hotaru from not only exploding but catching Sheila and me in the debris? Oh to hell with it, I'm getting out of here-I've already lost enough brain cells to that gun.

"So let me get this straight. Your airlines not only prevented me from going home tonight but is also so incompetent, it can't even find a substitute flight within the next 24 hours? On top of that, you're not going to refund me for this flight if I choose a different airline because your poor excuse for this cancellation is the weather, which is "out of your control and therefore not your problem?" And you expect me to _not_ file a single complaint and to stay _calm_ about this?" Hotaru began spewing, her rage tingeing her tone with every word spat out. Not good, NOT GOOD AT ALL! Please, God, Grandpa's soul and anybody else up there listening! Calm Hotaru down!

"That's it! Sheila, not only have you severely burdened me, but you've also-"

"HOTARU?!" Wait. That wasn't me, or Sheila! I whirled around, only to find...Ruka? Why was Ruka here? I stared at Hotaru, who looked as shocked as I was-although she was covering it up with her emotionless facade again. I let out a deep sigh of relief-if anybody could calm Hotaru down right now it would be Ruka. Hotaru sauntered over to where Ruka was standing, and it was at that moment that I saw a man standing near Ruka. He looked surprised to see Hotaru as well. He was wearing slacks and a button-up shirt with the first few buttons undone. Perhaps the most exquisite thing about him were his eyes though, which were a stunning shade of crimson. It was then that his gaze suddenly shifted to me, and I watched as his eyes widened with shock then narrowed in….anger? He raked his gaze over me before his eyes landed on the sakura necklace on my neck. My heartbeat was suddenly all over the place, although whether from fear or something else I couldn't tell. He glared at me venomously, and I was caught in his trance.

"Natsume! Come here, Hotaru has a proposition for where we can stay since it looks like all the flights back to Japan are canceled for the next few days," Ruka suddenly broke the trance, and I immediately shook my head. There's no way he glared at me-we've never even met! The man-Natsume-stalked over slowly, and I had to try very hard to suppress a shiver. I couldn't even fathom why this person was having such an effect on me, and truth be told it was terrifying me. Hotaru then placed her hand on my arm, in a reassuring manner, and I realized my fear must have been visible. I quickly schooled a blank expression that could match one of Hotaru's best ones.

"Ruka. Natsume. We have two cabins owned by my family available. Getting a hotel in this country is going to be difficult at this time because all the occupants of this airport have been snowed in. Since all of us are waiting to get back to Japan, why don't we share the cabins for the next few days? Sheila can put all of us on the next flight back to Japan."

"That's fine, Imai. Shall we go, then?" Natsume replied in a very silky voice, and I involuntarily took a step back when he glared at me again. Ok, that's it! I so did not imagine that first glare-just what was this guy's problem? Oh well, two can play at this game. If he wanted hostile, well, hostile is just what he's gonna get!

* * *

Thank you for reading! I realize that this chapter is a little similar to the first one, situation-wise. I promise that I won't write all the events from both Natsume's and Mikan's POV's because that would become super repetitive. But for this first situation, I thought it would be beneficial to establish both Mikan's and Natsume's feelings at the beginning!

I'm already working on chapter three, so hopefully, that will be out soon as well!

Arigato!

Breezylyn


	3. Polka Dots

Hello once again! Here's chapter three of Rekindling the Past. I'd like to start off by once again thanking everyone who followed/favorited/reviewed/even read this fic! Your support makes writing this a lot more fun for sure!

In this chapter, the flashback is Natsume's POV. The first part of the present is Natsume, but it eventually switches to Mikan's POV. Also, I realize that I didn't mention this in the background info of the last chapter, but Aoi is Natsume's little sister (which is canon I guess) and Youichi is Mikan's little brother (this part isn't canon lol).

Once again, I don't own Gakuen Alice, Yumeiro Patissiere or Kitchen Princess! (I promise, the later chapters will have a couple of recipes and other stuff from YP/ KP). Well, I hope you enjoy this next chapter of Rekindling the Past!

* * *

POLKA DOTS

* * *

 _All I could do was stare at the girl in front of me. Even now she still has her stupid pigtails in. Honestly, how could that idiot from the library possibly be the heir to a company as great as Sakura Corp? I groaned before internally slapping my forehead. Now I'd be forced to interact with her, for the good of Kuro Neko Industries; I just hope her stupidity isn't infectious. The girl-what did she say her name was? Mikan Sakura?-was staring at me curiously, and after a short laugh, her parents meandered into the parlor along with mine to have some "adult time." Which, simply translated, means to share a few drinks. Aoi and Youichi had already gone off to play in the gardens, which meant I was now alone with the Baka._

" _EHHHHHH? I remember now! You're the boy from the library!" What a genius! It only took her ten minutes of staring at me to recognize my features. How could my parents expect me to converse with such a dummy? Then again, if we didn't get along, it would be Aoi's tears once more. With a reserved sigh, I attempted to strike up a conversation._

" _Would you look at that? It's the little girl. I see you still have as ridiculous a hairstyle as always. Why didn't you tell me your parents were the owners of Sakura Corp?" I queried, irritated that she had neglected to mention something so important._

" _HEY! My pigtails happen to look adorable, that's what Papa always tells me! And I didn't think telling you about Sakura Corp was important at all. To be fair, you didn't tell me that you're the person running Kuro Neko Industries, under Hyuuga Corp, either!" Mikan obstinately ground out. Not important, huh? That's it-I don't care what my parents say. I can't tolerate this Baka any longer. I shot the girl a cold glare, in order to discourage her from coming anywhere near me, and walked away from her. I could hear her mindless shouting behind me, and a smirk lit my face. That is until something knocked me over._

" _NATSUME! LOOK OUT!" I barely had a few seconds to glance over my shoulder, only to see Mikan tripping on the carpet. She was on a collision course, heading straight for me. I grabbed her arm and attempted to balance her, but she pushed the other way in an effort to balance herself and we both fell. I groaned in pain before slowly opening my eyes. And right on top of me lay Mikan. Her head was crooked into my chest, and I had my arms around her waist, holding her securely so she wouldn't get hurt. She untucked her head and gazed into my eyes._

" _I… I… you! Your eyes… they're so pretty! Like giant, crimson garnets-no, like rubies! They're so sparkly!" Mikan suddenly exclaimed. All I could see were her giant amber eyes, sparking with innocence, and I suddenly felt heat crowding my cheeks._

" _Natsume? Are you ok? Your cheeks are red, do you have a fever or something?" Mikan placed a palm against my forehead, worry lacing her eyes. This was bad… I had to get the clumsy girl off of me! An idea suddenly sparked in my brain._

" _I'm fine, polka-dots. Now would you get off of me? You're kinda heavy you know. Maybe consider going on a diet," I smirked, adopting a cocky tone of voice. Mikan just stared at me, a confused expression on her face that was beginning to morph into something else. And three, two, one…_

" _NATSUMEEEEEE! WHAT DID YOU SAY YOU JERK?! I AM NOT FAT!" Mikan shrieked, causing damage to my ears. She grabbed me by the collar and brought me closer to her face. I quickly averted my gaze from her eyes, making sure to roll my own in the process._

" _Stop screaming Polka. You're making my ears bleed!" I replied, irritated at her loud voice and the close proximity._

" _WELL, YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S MAKING ME SCREAM IN THE FIRST PLACE! AND… Polka-dots?" Mikan intoned, her pitch changing to a questioning one towards the end. It's official-this girl is the stupidest idiot I've ever met. I donned another cocky smirk before giving her another hint._

" _Polka, when are you going to get off of me? I know I'm so irresistible that you can't help but try and seduce me. But polka-dots are a bit childish a view, don't you think?" I watched as she suddenly observed our position and then how her skirt had flipped up to give me a clear view of her polka-dotted panties. The stupid girl suddenly started trembling, and I rose an eyebrow at her._

" _NAAAATTSSSUUUUMEEEEEEEEEEE! YOU BIG IDIOT! YOU PERVERT! HOW DARE YOU LOOK AT MY PANTIES!?"_

" _Hey, you're the one who tripped in the first place, polka-dots, and you-"_

" _QUIT CALLING ME THAT, YOU PERVERT!"_

" _-should really stop pretending that you're innocent. We both know your true goal is to try and get closer to me. Now get off me before I decide to throw you off myself." Mikan immediately scrambled to her feet, and I could see her fuming the whole time. If I didn't know any better, I'd say Mikan was from some cartoon, since it looked like she had steam pouring out of her head. I moved my arms back to my side, while just managing to hide a wince at the pain it brought. Looks like the idiot landed on my arm when we fell._

 _I got up after the girl and dusted myself off. When I looked up at her, she seemed to be at war with herself. I cocked a brow before simply saying, "What's the matter, little girl? Got something to say?"_

" _YES I DO YOU BIG-"_

" _Cause I don't have any interest in hearing it. See ya, you weird polka-dotted panties girl," I calmly cut her off, and turned around with a smirk on my face. I drifted off, raising a single hand behind me as a goodbye. My smirk slowly morphed into a smile when I heard her continuous curses trail after me. What an interesting idiot._

* * *

I couldn't believe it, right in front of me was Mikan Sakura. And she still has those damn pigtails in her hair, even at the age of 20. Though her hair is the only physical part of her that hasn't changed-she's definitely developed if you catch my drift. She stared curiously at me and her eyes seemed surprised when they landed upon my own. A small smile graced her face, softening her features, and I could barely breathe. She looked so beautiful at that moment, and I immediately remembered our official introduction. She peered into my eyes exactly the same way, and with the same goofy grin. Mikan Sakura….the girl that changed my life completely, the girl that made me fall in love. The girl that ruined me through and through after she betrayed me for another man. That thought suddenly snapped me out of my reverie, and I could feel my rage beginning to ignite. Mikan Sakura...how dare she show up in front of me, and that too with a casual grin? With a look of odd surprise, as though she couldn't possibly have done any wrong to me? I ran my gaze over her whole figure before something around her neck caught my eye. A sakura flower, with pearls coming off the stem and a diamond-like stud right in the middle. My eyes suddenly widened in shock upon seeing the relic.

That was my last gift to her before my family moved away. For months and months after that, I had continuously sent Mikan letters, only to have every single one rescinded. Every call I had made in that period had been ignored until Izumi Sakura finally responded and told me to leave their family alone. I didn't listen, of course, and kept calling them until the Sakura's changed their number and mailing address. I just couldn't accept that as the end of my relationship with Mikan and had finally convinced my parents to let me go back for a visit a few years later, masking it under the pretense of visiting Ruka to better business relations. After visiting her old home and every location I remembered seeing her, I was heavily disappointed because she was completely missing. Hotaru wouldn't give me any information, except that she was doing fine and had moved away. Ruka warned me that if I went searching for Mikan, it would only end in pain on my part. It was by chance that I finally saw Mikan, on the way to the local coffee shop. I followed her of course. Mikan stopped in front of the shop and I emerged from my hiding place to finally reunite with the person that I treasured the most. Imagine my surprise when she squealed, ran up to a strange man with a star-shaped tattoo under his eye and embraced him tightly. Even then, I didn't believe. Then the bastard kissed her on the forehead, before picking her up and spinning her around. What finally made me stop pursuing Mikan was the look of unbridled joy on her face as she gazed down at the man. It was then that I finally acknowledged that Mikan had moved on. She had moved on, but I was still stuck in the past. She had moved on, and in the process left me behind without even my knowledge. Back then, she was the one who was happy. Not anymore though: after all, fate put her on my path of destruction.

I immediately fixed the most deadly glare I could muster on my face and gazed right into Mikan's eyes. I watched as her eyes widened and filled with fear. This devil had no idea what was coming her way.

"Natsume! Come here, Hotaru has a proposition for where we can stay since it looks like all the flights back to Japan are canceled for the next few days," Ruka suddenly interrupted. Without removing my glare from Mikan, who had suddenly averted her gaze after Ruka's words, I slowly approached the others. A sneer made its way on my face as Hotaru placed her hand on Mikan's arm, as though attempting to reassure her, and Mikan attempted to place a blank expression on her face. I could still see the masked fear in her eyes: the girl never could hide her true sentiments from me. Ruka eyed me warily-it was evident that neither he nor his fiancee had missed our wordless exchange.

"Ruka. Natsume. We have two cabins owned by my family available. Getting a hotel in this country is going to be difficult at this time because all the occupants of this airport have been snowed in. Since all of us are waiting to get back to Japan, why don't we share the cabins for the next few days? Sheila can put all of us on the next flight back to Japan." My sneer slowly grew as I recognized the opportunity fate had given me to settle the score.

"That's fine, Imai. Shall we go, then?" I smoothly answered, finally shifting my vision over to my cousin. She narrowed her eyes at me, as though disappointed by my reaction to Mikan. It looked like Hotaru was about to berate me, when Ruka suddenly walked over to her and grabbed her hand. He dragged her away from the group, waving us off with a simple "It's going to be a long night. We'll get some coffee." Liar-it was obvious he wanted to warn Hotaru about my intentions towards Mikan. All said and done, Hotaru and Mikan were best friends and an unhappy Hotaru resulted in a damaged Ruka. I scoffed before fixing my attention back on the witch. Time to get some answers.

* * *

Mikan's POV

* * *

Why… Why is he looking at me with such hatred again? I know I decided not to cower before him but I've never dealt with someone who's loathed me this much. Not even Luna and her jealousy could compare to this and that's really saying something considering she locked me in a closet once. Or so I've been told, by Hotaru.

"What the hell are you doing here, you snake?" The man growled at me, pure poison lacing his tone.

"I...Why? Why do you hate me so much?" I choked out. Damn it, even I could hear the fear in my voice. I have to get a grip on myself! Fight Mikan! You can do it! Just be more-my thoughts were cut off by laughter. I stared at the man, and all my worries returned. Most people don't laugh like a psychotic lunatic out for blood at the sight of strangers.

"Are you serious, little girl? You really don't remember me? And yet, here _I_ am with your face engraved in my vision every night before I sleep. The face of someone who's ruined my life." Ruined his life? What is he babbling about; I've never even seen him! I think I'd remember if I met someone with crimson eyes-heck, even if he didn't have a memorable eye color I still wouldn't have forgotten such a powerful person.

"I...I don't know what you're talking about, you jerk! We've never even met before, and if you're the kind of person who judges people so quickly for things they haven't done then I wish I would never have had to cross paths with you!" I spewed out, finally getting my courage back. How dare this man accuse me so falsely? I pasted my own glare on my face and stared straight into his pools of fire. A smirk then etched its way onto his face, and I warily observed my rival.

"Then, you truly don't recognize me, Mikan Sakura? You would be the first person to not recognize the great Natsume Hyuuga standing in front of them," He simpered back. Natsume Hyuuga? NO, that's impossible-it had to be a coincidence that he shared the same name as my fiance. My glare faded away as I realized with horror that this man had arrived with Ruka, which fits with the information my parents had provided about Natsume. That my future husband is best friends with Ruka.

"Natsume Hyuuga? As in, the man I'm now engaged to?" I inquired, double-checking my doubts. Natsume simply gave me the "you're-the-biggest-idiot-I've-ever-met" look, something that I thought only Hotaru could do. I sweatdropped after recollecting how Hotaru and Natsume are technically cousins, though Hotaru claims she's only met him once a long time ago.

"Yes, I forgot that my parents decided to engage me to such a worthless, pathetic woman. Not to mention childish, you're what, twenty years old? And still donning such a ridiculous hairstyle. Tch." I could feel my irritation skyrocket; what was this jackass' problem anyway? Why should my pigtails concern him?

"First: if I want to wear pigtails, then I will and I don't give a crap about what you think. Second: I am not worthless! You haven't even gotten to know me yet! Third: If you think I'm leaping with excitement to be engaged to you, think again. I don't like the idea of marrying someone I've never even met any more than you do, yet you don't see me glaring maliciously and being a jerk. Just because we were forced into this arrangement doesn't mean that you have the right to hate me! I'm only going through with the engagement because I can't disappoint my parents, and I'd appreciate it if you'd give me a chance Natsume."

"Just what the hell….are you stupid or something? You think this is all because I'm being engaged to you by my parents? Well, think again little girl. I can't believe you're seriously standing there and pretending to be innocent! You and I both know very well what you did to me, SO STOP PRETENDING!" I was taken aback by the force he added to his words. Natsume was really acting like I'd done a huge wrong to him, and it was making me extremely confused.

"NO I DON'T! I…. I don't have a clue what I did to you, Natsume! If this isn't about the engagement, then what the hell is this about?" I retaliated, determined to get to the bottom of this.

"You know what Mikan Sakura? Even after all these years, you're still a manipulative, cold-hearted bitch. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, even I fell for your innocent act. But now I see the reality of it all-you're just a conniving demon. Unfortunately for you, all demons fall back to Hell eventually, and I plan to be the one to send you there," Natsume snapped, in a frosty tone. He was gritting his teeth, and I could sense that my words were only angering him further. I had to get to the bottom of this quickly, so I could apologize for whatever I apparently did to make this man so vitriolic. Natsume suddenly took a step forward, violating my personal space and I shivered again. No matter how hard I try to stay strong, Natsume was still a significantly taller man who easily could overpower me. I cautiously took a step back and panicked when he only took another step forward. The worst part was that he had trapped me in his gaze; I found that I couldn't look away from his crimson orbs. I continued stepping back until I finally hit the wall behind me. Desperately, I glanced away, hoping to find an escape route. To my dismay, Natsume had boxed me into one of the corners making up gate A46, and by the look of his face, I wasn't going to be escaping anytime soon. He leaned his face closer to mine until all I could see was the dazzling Hyuuga.

"Natsume! Mikan! Here, we finally got the coffee; the line was so long! I guess everyone had the same idea, getting coffee," Ruka suddenly interrupted. Ruka is so my hero now since this is the second time in one day he's rescued me from a scary situation. Natsume stared at me for one beat longer, before backing away and acknowledging Ruka. Hotaru handed one of the cups to me and I watched as Ruka subtly pulled Natsume by the arm and walked a distance away. Although it was faint, I could still overhear Ruka telling Natsume that Hotaru would explain what happened in the past later. The past...I wonder what Natsume was talking about, and why he thought I had done something in the past to him.

"...Mikan!" I finally looked up, realizing Hotaru had been calling my name for the past few minutes and was about to grab her Baka gun. I paled before immediately responding. If there's one thing Hotaru hates, it's when someone ignores her.

"Thanks for the coffee, Hotaru. You and Ruka honestly saved me. I can't believe that brute is the person my parents engaged me too!"

"Mikan, he's really not that bad. My cousin can come off as a bit… rough… but he's a good person. Wow, I can't believe I just supported that guy, sheesh."

"Yeah, I can't believe it either. Didn't you notice the way he was glaring at me? And he kept going on about some nonsense over how I ruined his life in the past or something! Can you even believe that? I've never even MET the guy!" When Hotaru didn't reply and simply looked away, I realized she was hiding something. And that something clearly had to do with Natsume Hyuuga.

"Hotaru… what are you keeping from me?" I asked, suspicion in my voice.

"N...Nothing Mikan, at least nothing you need to know right now. Please trust me on this: when the time comes, you'll find out the truth. But I promised Auntie Yuka and Uncle Izumi that I wouldn't divulge anything to you, so I can't tell you." I snorted, wondering just how much my parents paid Hotaru to keep her mum. It must have been a pretty hefty sum because we never kept anything from each other. Hotaru glanced at me, and although she maintained her blank facade I could see the slight tinge of anxiety in her eyes. With a deep sigh, I simply replied,

"Don't worry about it. I know you don't break your promises, so I'm not going to bother trying to get you to spill your secret. But promise me that if it becomes something very crucial that I need to hear, you'll tell me?"

"I promise, Mikan."

"More importantly, I still can't believe my parents could engage me to such a bastard. Hotaru! I need your help-I just can't marry him! I absolutely can't!"

"Look, Mikan, you-"

"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen. The airport will be closing down due to horrible weather conditions. As a result, we ask all of you to please find lodging in another location. We will not be opening the airport for the next few days and you are will not be allowed to stay here until the weather clears up." Hotaru let out a sigh before signaling Ruka and Natsume to come over. Great, just the person I wanted to see again.

"Alright guys, it looks like the airport is going to close. So let's head over to the cabins for now. Since there are four people and only two cabins, we'll have to put two people in each cabin." Hotaru explained, staring at Ruka the whole time. I watched as Ruka appeared to complete their mental conversation and was impressed by how easily the two of them fit together. I glanced at Natsume, realizing that the sort of telepathy Hotaru and Ruka shared was something Natsume and I would never have. Especially because he's too self-centered and rude to even care about what I'm thinking. Oh yes, there's also the little issue with how he tends to hate people at first sight after jumping to ridiculous conclusions about them.

"So who's sharing with whom then?" Natsume interjected, still using his blank tone. I shook my head slightly. Wasn't it obvious how the cabins would be split? What a simpleton.

"I'll be sharing with Hotaru, of cour-"

"Ruka and I will be in one of the cabins. Mikan, you and Natsume can take the other one," Hotaru interrupted, a slight smirk gracing her face. I gaped, shocked at her suggestion, especially after the way I just complained to her about Natsume.

"Wh-Wh-WHAT? I CAN'T SHARE WITH THIS BASTARD! HOTARUUUUUUU! WHY CAN'T WE SHARE?" I shrieked, the idea of sharing with Natsume finally dawning on me.

"Mikan, come on, Natsume isn't bad at all! And if you're worried about him taking advantage of you or something, rest assured. Natsume would never do that," Ruka calmly replied.

"Tch, like I'd ever want to take advantage of such a childish girl. I have a general rule to avoid idiots wearing pigtails. Especially when they not only look the part of a kindergartener but act it too. Honestly, Ruka, you should be more worried about me: we already know how sneaky this girl can be. It wouldn't surprise me if she tried to jump me," Natsume scoffed. HOW DARE HE? I could feel the anger burning through my veins, and I immediately turned on him, ready to slap him right in his pretty-boy face.

"JUMP YOU? PLEASE! I have a general rule of not going near rude bastards, and you just happen to be the rudest of them all! HOTARU! I can't POSSIBLY stay with this guy! I refuse to leave this airport if I have to room with him!" I obstinately huffed. Hotaru simply rolled her eyes at me before pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Then stay in this airport alone, you idiot. Come on, let's go Ruka. Natsume, are you coming as well, or are you planning to keep this idiot company?" Hotaru irritatedly stated. Now my own best friend was turning on me, and it was all because of that stupid jerk!

"HOTARRRUUUUUUUU! Are you actually going to leave me here? HOTARU I CAN'T ROOM WITH HIM! PLEASE DON'T MAKE MEEEE!" Hotaru simply whirled around and fixed me with a cold glare. She reached into her coat pocket, and

BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA! I flew and hit the nearby wall.

"If you don't shut up and come with us, then I'll shoot you even more! Now come on; I refuse to stay in this blasted airport any longer than necessary!" Hotaru evilly cautioned. I swallowed all my protests upon seeing her serious expression and sadly gathered my things. As much as I didn't like the cold bastard, who simply raised an eyebrow at my disgraceful scene, I just so happened to value my life more.

* * *

Ok first off: the part where Natsume starts laughing or snickering or whatever. I wrote that picturing Kazuma Yagami's psychotic laughter when he goes rogue after seeing Bernhardt with his Tsui-Ling "doll." Oh, that's from the anime Kaze No Stigma-Kazuma's a pretty hot character tbh. Even when he goes completely batshit crazy for a few episodes, he's still cool. Anyways, that's what I was picturing with Natsume.

I had a lot of fun writing this, especially the flashback scene in this chapter! At first, I was actually planning to write it from Mikan's POV, but it wasn't sounding right when I tried her POV. It became much easier to write, though, from Natsume's POV which was a huge relief. Also, I'm super sorry if any of the characters are OOC-I'm trying to make them in character!

Anyways, thank you for reading once again! Hopefully, chapter 4 will be out soon as well!

~ Breezylyn


	4. Partners

I'm back, and this time with chapter 4! I do hope you enjoy this one, everyone! Once again, thank you to everyone who followed/favorited/reviewed/even read this fic! Your support truly means a lot to me!

Now for the disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice, Yumeiro Patissiere or Kitchen Princess! (I promise, the later chapters will have a couple of recipes and other stuff from YP/ KP. For now, I'm trying to get the preliminary stuff out of the way!)

This time, both the flashback and the present are in Mikan's POV! I hope you enjoy this next chapter of Rekindling the Past!

* * *

PARTNERS

* * *

" _Hi, everybody! I'm Mikan Sakura. I hope we can all get along!" This was it. My first day of school at Gakuen Academy, the same school where my best friend Hotaru Imai is. I quickly scanned the faces present in the classroom, before my eyes finally landed on Hotaru's. She was tinkering with some technological parts, no doubt assembling the next big invention for Imai Innovations. I pouted when I realized she didn't even acknowledge the fact that her best friend was present in the classroom._

" _Let's all give Mikan a warm welcome, alright? Now then, we should assign you a partner to help show you around the school Mikan," Narumi Sensei stated after all the introductions ended. Excitement sparked inside of me as I realized that Hotaru would have to spend time with me if she became my partner!_

" _Narumi Sensei! Please make my partner Hotaru Imai!"_

" _Eh? Well, it is a bit unorthodox for the student to pick their partner, but since you seem so passionate on this, I'll go ahead and make-"_

" _No. I don't want to be this Baka's partner. Besides, Ruka Nogi was assigned as my partner when I first arrived. And I thought you said you couldn't switch partners...unless you're not a man of your word Sensei," Hotaru suddenly replied, a blank stare on her face. She reached for her Baka gun and held it up as a casual warning to Narumi Sensei as to what would occur if he didn't comply. I glanced at Narumi Sensei, who was suddenly shivering and had a smile frozen on his face. He let out a sigh before staring at me apologetically. I nodded my head in understanding-Hotaru's Baka gun hurts, dammit! Well, there go all my plans of spending time with my best friend._

" _Yes, I suppose I forgot about that little rule. Sorry Mikan, but there's only one person in this class right now who does not have a partner, so I suppose-"_

" _EHHHHHH?! SENSEI! YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY MEAN TO MAKE NATSUME-SAMA THIS UGLY GIRL'S PARTNER!?" A girl with seaweed-green curls interjected furiously._

" _-Ahem. If you all don't stop interrupting me, I_ will _assign extra homework. And yes, Sumire, Natsume Hyuuga will now be Mikan Sakura's partner. Natsume, while I realize you don't usually put up with such formalities, do try and be a decent partner to Mikan. At the very least, don't threaten to cut her hair off," Narumi Sensei warily replied. Natsume...HYUUGA? As in the pervert from the library and the son of the people my parents met with for dinner that night? No No NO NO NO this was not happening! But then again… he did save me from getting hurt that day when I tripped. Maybe he won't be so rude to me if we have to be partners._

" _Tch. Assign her someone else as a partner, Narumi," Natsume rudely demanded. Or maybe he will be the same rude, conceited oaf._

" _Natsume… Sorry, but I don't have a choice. I don't usually play this card, but if you don't agree to become Mikan's partner I'm afraid I'll have to have a chat with your parents. Now then, class, I'm going to leave this period as a free block to get to know your new peer," Narumi slyly threatened. Although it was perhaps only for a second, Natsume's eyes widened with fear. When I blinked, they were back to normal and I wasn't sure if I had just imagined the whole thing._

" _Tch. Whatever," Natsume simply replied, looking away. I sighed before making my way over to my new "partner."_

" _N..Natsume! I guess you're my partner now, so I'll try my best to not get in your way!" I immediately began, not wanting to get on his bad side. Natsume simply cocked a brow and stared for a few moments at me. I began to fidget, slightly uncomfortable with the way his gaze seemed to see right through me. He suddenly smirked before announcing,_

" _Well, well. Looks like I'll have to be the one to show you around campus. What a troublesome task, made even worse because of_ you _, Polka-Dots." I could hear the other students murmuring about how it seemed we had met before. The blonde boy sitting right next to Natsume looked at him curiously and a silent conversation seemed to pass between the two. Satisfied, the blonde then turned back to the view out the window and continued petting the adorable rabbit in his lap. The girl with green hair from earlier swiftly stood up from her seat before banging her hands on the table and glaring at me. She then turned to Natsume, and a "loving" expression flitted across her face._

" _Natsume-Sama! Why did you call that girl Polka-Dots? Have you had the displeasure of meeting her before?" Natsume kept his smirk trained on me, and I watched in horror as a flicker of amusement passed through his usually bored eyes. Without turning to face the fangirl, he simply responded,_

" _As a matter of fact, I have met this girl before. She even tried to seduce me by showing me her polka-dotted panties. It's too bad she doesn't realize how childish printed panties are." OH NO HE DIDN'T! The entire class stared at me, surprised I had attempted to "seduce" their precious Natsume. Hotaru put her tools down and raised a brow at me. I shook my head rapidly, signaling to her that the jerk was totally lying. She just rolled her eyes in response and went back to work._

" _WHAAAAATTTTTT? HOW DARE YOU GO NEAR MY NATSUME-SAMA?!" Seaweed-perm-girl shrieked._

" _Now look here, Permy. I don't have any interest in this jerk-he's totally lying! I didn't do anything to him! In fact, he's the one that tried to seduce me, staring at my panties and all!"_

" _Ok, don't EVER call me PERMY again! And there's no way my Natsume-Sama would try to seduce someone as immature as-"_

" _Stop lying, Sakura! Natsume would never do such a terrible thing!" The blonde boy abruptly snapped. I stared at him, surprised at how the previously shy boy had transformed into a bold, upset individual._

 _BAKA BAKA BAKA! From the look of shock present throughout the class, I assumed everyone else was just as surprised as I was. Hotaru had just shot the blonde kid with her Baka gun-and I thought I was the only one who she actually assaulted with that weapon._

" _Don't you ever call Mikan a liar. She might be a lot of things, but she is not a sneak or a liar." With that simple statement, Hotaru went back to tinkering with her inventions. Natsume stood and helped his friend up from the floor before fixing an angry glare on Hotaru and shifting it to me._

" _Imai. If you ever hurt Ruka again, I promise you Imai Innovations will be bankrupt within a week. As for you, Polka, I'm only going to warn you once. Stay. Out. Of. My. Way." Hotaru just scoffed before continuing her work. "Come on, Ruka. Let's get out of this stupid classroom." Natsume and Ruka strolled out of the classroom, and I sat down in my seat with a huge sigh. This wasn't exactly how I had planned my first day of school. The bell signaling the end of the first period finally rang, and I gathered all my belongings before heading out of the class. Hotaru had left as soon as the class ended and I was once again on my own. Especially since my failure of a partner ditched me._

 _I turned into one of the hallways, hoping that it was the one that led to my next class. Room 110, 112, 114, 118… Wait! Where was Room 116? AGH! I suppose the best thing to do is ask for directions. I glanced around the quickly-emptying hallway, desperate to find another person for help. That was when a girl with strawberry-blonde hair approached me. She had piercing blue eyes and donned an extremely expensive set of accessories that only served to complement the drab school uniform. The girl stopped when she was right beside me and slowly turned to face me._

" _Mikan Sakura, was it? You're the one who's now Natsume's partner, right?"_

" _Y...Yes! That's me-Mikan Sakura! Ummm… do you think you could help me find Room 116? I'm afraid I'm quite lost."_

" _Hmmm...Room 116 is right around that corner there. Oh, how rude of me: I never introduced myself. I'm Luna Koizumi."_

" _Oh, uh thank you very much! It's nice to meet you, Luna." Finally! I just knew there had to be someone at this school who was super nice. Maybe we could even become good friends!_

" _Nice to meet you too, Mikan. Oh, and just one more thing. Stay away from my Natsume, or else you'll regret it." With that last comment, Luna flicked her hair and sauntered off. I could feel the confusion fill my face before it dawned on me that this girl was not going to be a friend. If her hostile mood change was any indication, she was going to be far from it._

* * *

Could someone please explain to me just how this happened? Here I am, stuck in a car with my fiancee, although "cruel bastard" might be a better description of him. I groaned before risking a glance at him, only to flinch when he caught me and sent back a dirty look. Natsume was currently driving the two of us over to our cabin, as we had just dropped off Ruka and Hotaru in theirs. I sighed, recalling how Hotaru forced Natsume and me to share. Truth be told, I knew I could have put up a bigger fight and ended up sharing with Hotaru. But when I saw the loving look Ruka gave Hotaru, I couldn't possibly intrude. The two have barely seen each other recently, what with all the business transactions and wedding preparations. It was the least I could do for my best friend to not oppose her staying with her love. And while I know Hotaru would never admit it, she was probably somewhat thankful to me for putting our friendship before my enmity with Natsume. Natsume...I let out another long sigh before slyly staring at Natsume from the corner of my eyes. He stared ahead at the road, and when he shifted slightly I noticed the earring he wore. I normally didn't go for guys with piercings, but for some reason, Natsume's didn't put me off. In fact, it seemed to do the opposite. A blush rose to my cheeks at the thought and I quickly looked away from Natsume, my eyes landing on the digital clock on the dashboard.

Even though our cabin was only a ten-minute walk away from Hotaru's, Natsume insisted on driving because it was already extremely late at night. I agreed at the time, but now I was starting to regret that decision. Not a single word intruded on the uncomfortable silence dotting the atmosphere, and I was too scared to break that tradition. I bit my lip before peering out the window. I could feel Natsume occasionally glare at me from his position in the driver's seat, and I wondered once more what his problem was. It's obvious from our encounter earlier that we seem to have met somewhere before-it just wasn't reasonable to assume Natsume acted like an ass to every stranger. I just couldn't understand it though: if I really had done some atrocity to Natsume, wouldn't I have at least remembered him? Something fishy was going on, and if I was going to help my parents out by going through with this engagement, I had to get on good terms with Natsume.

The car jerked to a stop, and I looked up when Natsume opened his car door. Before exiting, he left me with some parting words.

"The only reason I agreed to room with you is because of Ruka. So I'm only going to warn you once. Stay out of my way." Natsume slammed the car door and grabbed his bags before heading inside the cabin. Stay out of my way….the words, and his tone of voice. For some reason, I felt as though I had heard them somewhere before. An image of a boy with crimson eyes in a classroom suddenly flashed before my eyes. Before I could analyze it, it was gone, and I couldn't shake the feeling that somehow that picture held a great importance. I desperately tried to recall more about the scene, only to draw a blank.

Oh well, no point forcing myself to remember something that might not even be real. I emerged from the vehicle before popping the trunk open and seeing my bags. The jerk didn't even bother to help with my luggage. I grabbed my bags, annoyed at his show of "gentlemanly behavior," and trudged up the stairs into the cabin. After tossing the bags out of the way I quickly headed to the kitchen and made a glass of warm milk to curb my irritation. It's said that warm milk is supposed to calm you down, and I definitely felt better afterward. A quick look at the clock on the oven made me gasp: it was already midnight. I washed the glass out and left it to dry before opening one of my bags and changing into my pajamas. It was high time I went to bed. After all, I needed my beauty sleep if I was going to deal with Mr. Grumpy again tomorrow morning. Thank god there were two bedrooms in each of the cabins; I don't think I could handle sharing a bed with Natsume. Granted, he'd probably make me sleep on the floor or something if there was only one room.

Light spilled out from one of the bedrooms, and I popped my head in, curious as to why Natsume was still awake. I figured he had immediately gone to bed as soon as he walked in-guess I was wrong. Natsume was facing away from me, sitting at the desk in the room with his laptop on. He was furiously typing something, and I marveled at how quickly his fingers hit the keys. He suddenly stood up and stretched languidly, and I could feel my heartbeat accelerate at the sight. Natsume was only wearing a pair of pajama pants, and I blushed as all of his lean chest muscles were made prominent in that one action. He ran a hand through his silky hair, and I found myself wondering exactly how soft his hair would be. The desire to run my hand through it overcame me, and I fought the urge down desperately.

"What are you doing here?" He rose a single eyebrow at me, his crimson orbs piercing. I immediately looked up, surprised that he had caught me before I could flee. Shit.

"I..I...I...good to see you too, Natsume! You're not sleeping?" Ugh, that was the stupidest thing I could have possibly said! _Of course_ he's not sleeping!

"Tch. Well, it's never good to see you. Now get out-I'm busy." Jerk. I can't believe I was attracted to him, even for just a moment. Natsume stared at me, a look of disbelief crossing his features. He immediately masked it with a crooked smirk and sent me a smug look.

"So, the witch thinks I'm handsome, does she? Then again, I shouldn't be surprised. She does seem quite shallow. It's a shame she'll never be attractive to me." Witch? Wait that's what Natsume usually calls me...which means. Oh great-I just said my thoughts out loud, didn't I?

"Yup, and you still are," Natsume jeered. A blush fanned across my cheeks as I realized Natsume knew that I thought he was handsome! UGH! This was NOT going my way.

"I...I absolutely DO NOT think you're handsome! Even if you were-which you TOTALLY are NOT-your crap attitude more than puts me off. So don't even think that I'm the least bit attracted to you, you...you...you not-attractive….not attractive...not….attractive...AUGH!" DAMMIT! Why, for once in my life, can't I come up with a good comeback?

"Not attractive what, little girl?"

"NOT ATTRACTIVE PERSON!" I immediately groaned, realizing how lame that sounded. Natsume's smirk grew even more conceited, and I felt another blush rise up. Unfortunately, this one was from sheer embarrassment-Hotaru's right. I really do need to work on my comebacks.

"Hnnnn…So, you don't find me attractive?" Natsume purred, a deep baritone overtaking his voice that made him even more alluring-I MEAN UGLY! NOT ALLURING! HE IS NOT ALLURING AT ALL! Get a GRIP Mikan Sakura! Natsume took a step closer to me, forcing me to take one back in order to leave some distance between us.

"N-N-Not in the slightest. You are NOT attractive!" I exhaled slowly, finally getting a grip on myself after closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. When I opened them, however, I realized Natsume had taken another few steps closer to me and I willed my feet to propel me back as fast as possible. I couldn't lose control, and every time Natsume got close to me that's unfortunately what happened. All coherent thoughts fled: the only thing that remained was Natsume Hyuuga himself.

"Is that so?" Hyuuga responded, smolder cascading on his face. Oh god, please kill me now! I could handle a hostile jerk, but this? Is this his new form of punishment or something, because it isn't fair?! Why can't I have that effect on him?

"Yes. Now, uh, I'm feeling kinda sleepy, so do you mind movi-"

"Tch. Liar. There isn't a girl alive who isn't attracted to me." WOW! That has got to be the single most arrogant thing I've ever heard anybody say. Who does this guy think he is? I mean, yeah, he could probably pass for a male Adonis, and there is a reason why he's ranked as the number one bachelor (ahem I may have done a google search on him once I found out we were engaged). But seriously? It was time to put Natsume in his place.

"Well, maybe you should take another look. Cause I sure as hell am not attracted to you, and neither is Hotaru for that matter! Unlike most of the dumb Barbies that probably flock right to your type, I happen to look at other qualities in a guy beside how he looks. Qualities that you don't have, you condescending elitist!"

"Those are some big words, little girl. You sure you know what they mean?"

"WHY YOU-"

"Hotaru's my cousin. It would be disgusting if she thought I was attractive. As for you, we both know you're lying about how you actually feel."

"I AM NOT!"

"Hnnnn? Then why don't we put that to the test?" A look of challenge entered Natsume's eyes, and he swiftly approached me. I paled before immediately backing up, only to ram right into the desk. There was a wall on my left side, and to my right was the bed which was definitely out of the question. This meant I would have to somehow slip either under or around Natsume to get out. There was no question which of us was the stronger one, so under was probably my best shot. He was finally right in front of me, and I tried to slip under. Natsume anticipated the move and blocked me, essentially pushing me to the right in the process. And there you have it boys and girls, I was stuck on the stupid bed with Natsume towering over me. A smirk lit up his face and I started panicking. There's no way he would do anything to me, right? RIGHT?

"What's the matter? Not so tough now, are we?" Natsume moved his face closer to mine, and I blushed at the proximity. He smelled amazing, some exotic blend of pine, mint and other spices. He continued coming closer and I realized my only shot was to stall somehow.

"You… I thought you told Ruka you'd never take advantage of such a "childish girl." In fact, you're just trying to scare me so I back out of the engagement, aren't you? Well, I'll have you know that I don't plan to back out no matter what! So why don't you just get off of me, and maybe I won't mention this incident to your parents. You're supposed to be a genius, so why don't you think through this situation and realize it's not to your advantage," I threatened, trying to maintain a cold tone. Although I would be lying if I said I wasn't internally freaking out. It didn't help that I actually am attracted to him, making my heart pound at a ridiculous tempo. I hoped a reminder about our engagement would snap him out of whatever reverie he had decided to enter. I stared right into Natsume's crimson eyes, trying to act like I wasn't scared of him while simultaneously proving that I wasn't going to give up easily. A strange emotion flitted across his eyes before pain followed. Suddenly it was all gone, and I watched as he put his emotionless shields back into place.

"I think it's about time you learned your place, little girl. You never know when a genius can turn into a monster, after all. And this particular monster warned you not to cross his path. You chose not to listen. Now, you'll have to suffer the consequences," Natsume growled, a dark look overtaking his eyes. The crimson slowly became a dark maroon and rage broke through all of his shields. Natsume finally leaned in and devoured my lips with a ferocity that terrified me. I immediately clamped my lips shut, refusing to give him access to my mouth and enraged that the jerk had the audacity to steal my first kiss. I pushed against his chest with all my strength, only to be severely disheartened when Natsume grabbed my arms and held them to my chest with a firm grip that I definitely couldn't break. He then leaned his body against mine to trap me, accurately predicting that my next move would involve my legs. Even though I couldn't push him off, I was determined to not give in easily, no matter how good of a kisser he might have been.

Natsume began to grow frustrated, and let out a slight growl before biting my lip, hard. I squeaked in pain, and he used the opportunity to deepen the kiss with his tongue. Tears of frustration surged out of my eyes as I realized this man wasn't going to let me go and I was out of options. I closed my eyes, not wanting to watch the scene anymore, when a strange memory popped out. At least, I think it was a memory. An odd sensation overcame me as I watched the memory unfold, unsure of why it felt so familiar, so warm. Images of a boy with crimson eyes kept flashing before my eyes, but before I could decipher anything, a throbbing pain enveloped my head. Unable to tolerate the pain any longer, I finally blacked out.

* * *

Chirping birds were the first thing to wake me up. The sun was playing games on my face, and I turned on my side in an attempt to hide. The bed was so warm as I huddled further under the blankets. The...bed? I suddenly shot up, hesitantly peeking under the covers. Fully clothed. Which means...Natsume...he didn't do anything? I desperately tried to remember what happened last night-I called his bluff, but then he actually kissed me. And then...nothing. A quick sweep of the room revealed that I wasn't even in his room, and was in fact in my own. I glanced down at the floor, seeing that all my luggage had been brought in from the main hall. Did Natsume? No, it couldn't have possibly been him.

"I see you're finally awake Mikan. Good morning!" I immediately looked up, surprised to see Ruka standing in front of me, offering me a mug of warm milk. I smiled softly, recalling how I was the one who told him about the magic of warm milk and its powers to calm a person down. After taking a few sips, I responded.

"Good morning, Ruka. How long have I been asleep? Also, who brought my bags in?"

"Just a few hours probably. We got in the cabins late last night after all. As for your luggage, you probably brought it in last night and forgot," Ruka replied, giving me a strange look. I hid my sigh of relief at knowing I hadn't fainted for days or anything ridiculous like that. Ruka's second statement subsequently settled: so it had been Natsume after all. How strange...why would he...? Unless that was his backward way of apologizing? Nah, the day Natsume Hyuuga apologizes would be the day Hotaru lost her Baka gun and all the backups. AKA never.

"Is that so? Ahaha, I guess I just...lost track of time is all," I trailed off, unsure of what to say. I couldn't exactly tell Ruka what transpired with Natsume last night; they were best friends after all.

"Natsume did something, didn't he?" I looked up, shocked, only to find Ruka scrutinizing my expression. Hotaru always did tell me I wore my heart on my sleeve, and Ruka's pretty perceptive. He'd have to be in order to marry someone like Hotaru. A small smile made its way onto my face as I realized what a good guy Ruka was.

"Yes, he did. But I'd rather not dwell on what happened Ruka. Although...that's right! As his best friend, you might know. Can you please tell me why Natsume hates me so much?" Ruka's eyes softened sadly and he walked over to the window. I patiently waited, realizing that Ruka must have been searching for the right words. He finally turned back to me before responding.

"The truth is, Mikan, that I do know why he-as you put it-'hates you so much.'" I sighed, realizing where this conversation was headed.

"But let me guess. You can't tell me why, at least not now." Ruka looked up surprised before a slight smirk lit his face. My eyes widened upon seeing it; just the action brought a mental image of Natsume.

"Let me guess. Hotaru probably said something similar earlier."

"Yup. You guessed it." I pouted, before continuing, "It's so frustrating honestly. I feel like all three of you are in on some huge secret that involves me as well, yet I'm not allowed to know for some reason. On top of that, my parents expect me to go through with this engagement-hell, they're depending on it. Natsume already hates me though, and I don't know how to even begin to break the ice separating us."

"I truly wish I could tell you Mikan. But for your sake, I have to keep quiet. Although...you are wrong about one thing. I've known Natsume for years now and I've gotten pretty good at reading his true feelings. He's convinced that he hates you completely, so convinced that he's even made _you_ think that. But the fact of the matter is he doesn't hate you at all. I actually think that Natsume is only trying to hate you. And now that he's seen you again, he's probably really confused."

"...Confused? About what?" Ruka eyed me, before turning back to the window and smiling softly.

"He's confused about who you are right now. I'm afraid I can't reveal too much more without going into...our secret. But know this Mikan: a girl completely changed him in the past. And I don't see why another girl, namely you, cannot change him in the present. If you really want this engagement to succeed, don't give up. If it's you, I know you'll be fine. You'll be able to break the ice that separates you and Natsume easily." I stared at Ruka, warmed by his words of encouragement. He was completely right-it wasn't like me to give up so easily! I would break the ice between us, and make this engagement a success for my parents. I suddenly recalled something Ruka said: "a girl completely changed him in the past."

"Ruka...what did you mean by "a girl completely changed him in the past?" I watched as Ruka's eyes widened, before turning to me with an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry...Mikan... but I can't tell you that either." I puffed my cheeks out in annoyance, before scowling at Ruka.

"Yes Yes… your secret again, right? Oh well, who cares about the past anyways? After all, what's happened has happened-and I can't do anything to change that. Right now, I'd better focus on how to get closer to Natsume…." I groaned, realizing what a task that would be. I just walked into his room out of _curiosity_ last night, and look at what that resulted in.

"Don't worry too much about it Mikan. Hotaru's talking to Natsume right now about, well, the secret. I think after they're done Natsume will at least be willing to give you a chance. Nevertheless...there is one thing that you could do right now for him," Ruka responded, before turning away from the window with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Oh? And what's that?" My curiosity now peaked, I got out of the bed. Ruka looked at me with a grin and I couldn't help but grin back at him. My eyes softened as I realized that Ruka was like the older brother that I always wished for growing up. He was always helping me out and always knew exactly what to say to cheer me up-just like any older brother.

"Well, why don't you get dressed first and then I'll tell you." Ruka made his way towards the door to leave, before pausing. He turned back, almost like an afterthought.

"Mikan. While you may not be able to do anything to change the past, you should always remember it. Because the past is what shapes the present, and the present what shapes the future. I know if you try hard, you yourself will remember." With that, Ruka left, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

In the next chapter, Hotaru will finally reveal a bit of what happened to Mikan and the past specifically! So stay tuned for that one! (Lol I sound like a kids TV show narrator)...

Anyways, I do hope you liked this chapter! Please let me know what you think!

~ Breezylyn


	5. Monkey

Hey, everyone! Here's chapter 5! Sorry it took me a bit longer for this one-I had trouble figuring out how to write it and once I finally did I basically tripped and fell on my wrist so I couldn't type for a couple days ahahah... (sweatdrops)

As always, I don't own Gakuen Alice, Yumeiro Patissiere or Kitchen Princess! (Although I just bought the second omnibus for KP-I have to complete the collection soon!) Pretty soon Mikan will actually start cooking-you know, once this "clear up the past" business is done.

Finally, thank you to everybody who read, reviewed, and followed/favorited this fic! I really hope you're all enjoying it! Now, without further ado, here is chapter five!

Flashback: Mikan's POV

Present: Hotaru's POV (the ending bit is third person POV)

* * *

MONKEY

* * *

 _Almost there! Just a little bit more and I'll be able to make Hotaru the most delicious apple cider punch to go with the scones I baked earlier! After all, the apple trees at Gakuen Academy produced some of the juiciest, ripest, sweetest, reddest apples ever! I smiled, thinking of my dear Hotaru. She had a huge presentation for her latest invention coming up and was working way past midnight for the last few nights. I obviously couldn't help her with designing the presentation, or the details of her invention, and as a result left her alone. But every time I see her, she just looks so tired. So that got me thinking: what could I do to help Hotaru? And that's when I decided that the best way to help Hotaru would be to make her something to eat, especially because she's been skipping meals to work. I reached my arm out just a bit more before the apple was in my palm._

 _CRACK! My eyes widened in alarm as I slowly glanced behind me at the branch I precariously balanced on. There was a huge crack running down the side of the branch, and it was tipping lower and lower. I let go of the apple in panic before cautiously inching my way back towards the main part of the tree._

" _AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I shrieked with all my might as the branch finally broke with me only halfway back to the trunk. I desperately clung on to the branch. God! Grandpa! ANYBODY UP THERE! PLEASE HELP ME! I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE! I HAVEN'T EVEN FALLEN IN LOVE, OR HELPED HOTARU, OR GOTTEN BACK AT JIN-JIN FOR ALL THOSE DETENTIONS, OR MADE NATSUME PAY FOR CALLING ME POLKA-DOTS OR-I let out a grunt, my thoughts completely cut off as the branch smacked the forest floor with great force._

 _Sharp tendrils of pain shot up from my leg, and when I finally opened my eyes to look, I was horrified to see a huge gash running down my shin. Blood was slowly pooling out of the cut, and tears dotted my face. I bit my lip hard in an effort to calm down, before seeing my backpack near the base of the tree. There was a first aid kid with some gauze and wipes inside, and I realized I had to stop the bleeding as best as I could. After expending a lot of effort crawling over to my bag, I grabbed the kit and began wiping at the gash with the antiseptic wipes, groaning at the pain the alcohol provided. Ignoring my now completely ruined pants, I used the gauze and bandages to secure the wound as best as possible, before wrapping my sweat-shirt tightly around my whole calf in support. I sprawled back, attempting to regain my breath before a hiss of pain escaped my lips as I tried to move my leg to stand. I quickly realized there was no way I would be able to crawl, let alone walk, back to campus. All I could do was wait for somebody to find me._

 _I wasn't sure how many hours had passed, but the sun was beginning to set. I had finally adjusted to the pain in my leg and was pleased when it stopped bleeding. Nevertheless, I still wasn't in the condition to walk, and I frowned at the sky as I realized if the sun was going to set, everyone would be going to bed and nobody would be searching for me. My stomach was grumbling angrily, and I was fighting a losing battle against my tears. Hotaru's right, I really am a crybaby. Hotaru….just the thought broke my resolve and I finally started sobbing. What if I died out here? What if I never got to see Hotaru again, or mom and dad, or Youichi or Ruka or…..or even that stupid Natsume? My wails only intensified at the thought of losing everything out here because I'd be eaten by wolves, or worse: starve to death!_

" _Geez, you're so loud. It's a wonder nobody's found you yet, polka-dots." Great, now I'm even starting to hear Natsume's voice in my head. Forget starving to death; I was going to die from going mentally insane! But I...I...I…..I DON'T WANT TO GO CRAZY! I was crying so hard that I started hiccuping, and I could feel my nose running._

" _Now that's… a sorry sight. I didn't think it was possible, but you look even uglier when you cry. Besides, you're already crazy polka. Now come on, let's get outta here. Everyone's been searching like crazy for you, while you're just sitting here under some stupid tree. Tch." I slowly opened my eyes before seeing Natsume's crimson ones staring right back with a look of disgust. I blinked a few times, stunned to see the real thing standing in front of me with his hands in his pockets._

" _Do you mind? I know I'm good-looking, but most people don't stare at me the way you are right now. Now get up already-the sun's starting to set, and I'd rather not be stuck in a dark forest with_ you _," Natsume intoned in his typical bored voice. Although...it was tinged with a hint of concern. Looking closer into his eyes, I could see the same concern masked underneath, and that was when it dawned on me that Natsume was searching for_ me _. I wiped my tears from my face quickly._

" _How...how long have you been searching?" I asked, my voice hoarse from crying. Natsume stared at me for a beat, before turning away and nonchalantly replying,_

" _Too long, if you ask me. That stupid inventor was the first to notice you were missing: when she couldn't find you in your usual places she got all of us-including me and Ruka- to look for you." I giggled softly, realizing that she must have blackmailed Ruka and Natsume into helping. Hotaru really is the bestest friend! Too caught up in my happiness at being found, I began to stand up. Only to fall back down with a shout of pain at the cold reminder that I couldn't walk in my current state._

" _Hey….What's wrong with your leg, Polka?" Natsume inquired, suddenly crouching in front of my damaged appendage and examining it. He shifted it slightly, and I tried to hide my wince but he caught it anyway. Natsume rose an eyebrow at me, impatient to hear what happened. I bit my lip, not wanting to divulge that I fell out of a tree. He already thought I was a ruffian! Now he would think I was a monkey too! Oh wait, monkeys don't fall out of trees, now do they? I don't even deserve to be called a monkey! What if Natsume decided to leave me here because he didn't think I was worth saving?! I could feel Natsume's stare, and it was making me extremely uncomfortable as I fidgeted and avoided his searching gaze. Natsume scoffed before walking over to the base of the tree and snatching my backpack. He faced the tree for a moment and then suddenly turned around and crouched down._

" _Look, I frankly don't care what happened to you. But clearly you're not in the condition to walk, so just get on my back already." On his...back? I felt a strange sense of relief as I realized Natsume was offering to give me a piggyback ride. It was silly of me to think that Natsume would leave me here-he may act like an egotistical jerk, but deep down he does care about other people. I slowly crawled over to Natsume and took my backpack from him before carefully climbing onto his back. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face into his shirt. The way my leg was angled was a little painful, but I didn't complain because I would finally be able to go home. Natsume stood up and secured me on his back before heading off._

" _Natsume… Thank you…"_

" _Tch. Whatever, Polka." Natsume glanced over his shoulder at me before smirking and turning back to the front. I was amazed by how strong he was-I knew I wasn't exactly the lightest thing in the world, yet he wasn't even breaking a sweat carrying me. A twinge of guilt hit me as I realized that the least I could do is tell him what happened to me; he was trying so hard to help me and yet all I could think of was how embarrassing it would be if I told him the truth. I steeled my resolve before softly saying,_

" _Natsume...the truth is that the branch I was on broke and landed on me. I...basically fell out of the tree." I blushed, embarrassed, expecting him to burst out in mocking laughter._

" _Tch, just what I'd expect from such a clumsy girl. What were you doing so high up the tree in the first place, polka?" I lifted my face up to peek at his expression, only to find him smirking! Damn Natsume and his stupid smirk! I wasn't going to tell him anything anymore!_

" _It's...NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! And quit calling me polka, you pervert!"_

" _Is that how you thank the person who's saving you? Besides, if you don't answer I'll just drop you. You can crawl back to the academy by yourself." I blanched, realizing that not only was I being a bit ungrateful (only a bit, mind you. There's a limit to how grateful a person can feel towards such a sarcastic meany), but Natsume was totally being serious about dropping me. I coughed lightly, before pouting and finally telling the truth._

" _Fine. I climbed the tree to get an apple so I could make some apple cider punch to go with the scones I baked for Hotaru. She's been super busy with the presentation lately, and I really wanted to do something for her. Since she was skipping meals, I thought maybe I could make some food for her and Hotaru really loves apples, especially the ones from the Academy..." I trailed off, not knowing what else to say. Natsume was silent for a while as he continued walking before saying,_

" _Did you get an apple then, Polka?" Great, another unwanted question._

" _I...I….I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU-"_

" _I'll drop you."_

" _...I didn't get it. The branch broke right as I was about to pick the apple…" Natsume let out a slight laugh and I puffed my cheeks before tucking my face further into his back. As much as I hated to admit it...Natsume smelled kind of good. A bit like mint. I blushed at the thought and quickly moved my head away from his back. Natsume just glanced at me again, curious at the action, and I looked away before he could see my pink cheeks._

" _Hnnnnn… so I get how you fell. But where did you get the supplies to bandage your leg? Unless someone saw you...and didn't take you to the hospital?" Natsume ended, a dangerous note entering his voice that confused me. What was he so upset about anyway? Oh well, this question I didn't mind answering._

" _Oh, I always carry a full first aid kit around with me in my backpack. I guess it really came in handy today!"_

" _Yes, it did. Although I am curious, why would such a clumsy little girl be prepared enough to carry around a first aid kit?"_

" _HEY! You don't have to insult me, you know! Besides, I have to be prepared. Cooking can be pretty dangerous: glassware, fires, sharp utensils and all."_

" _...That's right. My parents mentioned something about you being really good in the kitchen or something like that. Is that what you do with your free time? Mess up pristine kitchens with your failed creations?"_

" _I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE PRAISED ME FOR MY COOKING, YOU CONCEITED LITTLE-"_

" _And I can still drop you whenever I want, polka, so I suggest you not finish that sentence." I scowled at his back before finally deciding to close my mouth. That was when I noticed we had emerged out of the forest and were heading towards the school entrance. I felt a soft smile slip on my face as I realized that Natsume really had saved me._

 _As we got closer and closer to the entrance gate, I saw a lot of people pacing anxiously. One of them shouted to the others once they saw us and everyone quickly came running over._

" _Mikan! Thank goodness you're alright! Don't ever go off like that again!" Narumi Sensei immediately cut in, helping me off of Natsume's back. "Natsume. Thank you for finding Mikan and bringing her back. I see now that her leg is injured; we'll take her to the hospital from here."_

 _BAKA BAKA BAKA! I watched as Hotaru fired her gun right next to me, blank mask still in place. I could see slight tear stains on her cheeks though and realized how worried Hotaru must have been. I sent her a soft smile, reassuring her that I was alright, before reaching over and giving Hotaru a hug. For once, she returned it and I sighed before whispering an apology to her._

" _OH MIKAN! MIKAN! YOU'RE NOT HURT ARE YOU? OH, YOUR LEG! IZUMIIIIII! GET OVER HERE_ NOW _! WE HAVE TO TAKE MIKAN TO THE HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW!" The shrill voice of my mother suddenly cut through the crowd, as Yuka Sakura herself rushed over and swept me in a giant hug. I laughed before hugging my mother back._

" _Well, looks like you're in good hands, Polka, so I'll be off now. I've got better things to do than watch you reunite with your family." Natsume cut in, before turning and stalking away. I remained in my mother's hug, completely ignoring her remarks as I couldn't take my eyes off Natsume._

" _Oh, and one more thing," Natsume said, suddenly stopping in place. "Check your backpack." With that last strange remark, he raised a hand in goodbye and left the entrance. I stared at Hotaru, who had witnessed his exit, and tilted my head in confusion. She shrugged before handing me my backpack and I immediately yanked the zip open. My eyes widened in surprise. There, right in the middle of the main pouch, lay a beautiful, ripe red apple. When did Natsume….? Maybe when he first got my backpack? But then...he didn't know I was searching for apples at that time. I smiled, realizing that it didn't really matter because I would never understand how he knew. Thank you….Natsume..._

* * *

"What happened, Hyuuga?" I asked coldly as I pictured my best friend. I looked at Natsume, who only sent me a glare before looking out towards the frozen lake in front of the cabin. We were currently on the porch of Natsume and Mikan's cabin.

"Nothing." I could feel my irritation building and attempted to reign it in.

"I'm only going to ask one more time. What. Did. You. Do?"

"Nothing, Imai." That's it! I let rage break my blank facade before snapping at the irritable character in front of me.

"Don't give me that. I know something happened between the two of you last night."

"Oh? Do tell me where you got such unreliable information, Imai," Natsume spat back, finally turning to face me with narrowed eyes. I felt a smirk slip on my face, before replying,

"Have you forgotten who I am, _dear cousin_? You of all people should recall how adept I am at gathering information." Of course, he was actually right. I didn't have proof if something had transpired last night. But I figured if I pushed hard enough I would find out. Natsume scowled at me before looking back out towards the lake.

"I know you don't actually have any idea Imai-I'm not as gullible as the idiot you call your best friend. But since you're not going to stop harping about it, I'll tell you. I kissed her and she blacked out." I sighed before pinching the bridge of my nose and elaborating upon his response. This Baka basically stole Mikan's first kiss and she probably blacked out because she had a memory flashback or something like that. At the rate this was going, I'd be needing my Baka gun soon.

"Really, Hyuuga? Was that necessary?"

"That's what she gets, Imai. She dared to challenge me, and a Hyuuga never backs away from a challenge. If it scared her, then good. That bitch deserves much worse than a good kiss after what she did," Natsume growled, anger lacing his tone. My eyes narrowed in anger myself as I realized the trauma his actions would have caused Mikan. Although I couldn't blame him for wanting to exact his revenge. Natsume didn't know the truth about what happened all those years ago and why Mikan didn't contact him. And now it was up to me to protect my best friend by telling him. I took a deep breath, before turning towards my moody cousin.

"Hyuuga. I know what you think of Mikan, but what happened in the past isn't her fault."

"Don't even start. Do you really think I'll believe any excuses you make up for her? The fact of the matter is that she completely betrayed me. Do you have ANY idea how many letters came back to me with a "rescinded" notice? How many calls went straight to voicemail, before that bastard Izumi finally responded only to tell me to "leave their family in peace? I frickin flew all the way to Japan just to find her, and when I did she betrayed me in the worst way possible. And you expect me to suddenly _forgive_ her? You're delusional, Imai." Natsume turned cruel eyes towards me, before jumping off the porch and trudging through the snow towards the lake. I bit my lip, annoyed at how he completely dismissed me before following him. I suppose it was quite naive of me, but I never realized the extent to which Mikan's family had brushed Natsume off. Although I wasn't sure what he was referring to when he came to Japan to find Mikan. I finally caught up to Natsume, who was hurling stones at the frozen lake with extreme force.

"Hyuuga. Don't interrupt me this time, or else I'll sell your baby photos to all your fangirls," I began, smirking when he turned towards me with a slight grimace and look of disgust. "Before I educate your irrational mind, I have a question for you. Why did you agree to this engagement with Mikan if you hate her so much?" I had a suspicion that he had only accepted to ruin Mikan's life, and until I cleared that suspicion I wasn't going to tell the brat anything.

Natsume scoffed before replying, "Are you really dumb enough to ask me that Imai? As my cousin, some of the Hyuuga genius genes must have passed to you." My eyebrow ticked in irritation at the insinuation that I was dumb, but I kept my words locked away, unsatisfied with his response. Natsume glanced at me before grunting and throwing another stone. I glanced at his hands, which were beginning to turn red from the snow he shook off the rocks.

"Fine. I'm going to marry her and make her life miserable. Since she's marrying me for the sake of her parents, she won't dare to leave the arrangement. Mikan Sakura will suffer for all the turmoil she's caused me." I snorted. Ruka was completely right-Hyuuga clearly didn't know what he wanted himself. I had never believed it possible for my cousin to be so stupid, but this half-baked plan was a new low. Which meant I still had a shot of convincing him that his version of the past is incorrect.

"You're being childish. Especially considering Mikan didn't betray you intentionally."

"This again? What are you trying to pull with your lies? You and the bitch must be on the same page: after all, both of you are claiming innocence."

"Look here, Hyuuga. I'm only going to say this once, so listen. Mikan lost her memory."

"...What? Is that the best excuse you could come up with? That's ridiculous, Imai," Natsume responded. I didn't miss the slight trace of hesitation in his voice and I realized Natsume was starting to fill in the blanks. Why Mikan had never been the one to respond to his letters or calls. Why Mikan hadn't even recognized him at the airport. Why Mikan kept blacking out suddenly.

"It's the truth. The day that your family left, Mikan was in a car accident. She was in a coma for a few months, and when she finally woke up all her memories of the past year were gone." I carefully watched Natsume, who ran a hand through his hair before hurling another rock at the lake.

"If she lost all her memories, then why does she remember you and Ruka?"

"It took a full week, but she regained all of her memories from that year. All of her memories except for the ones with you. At first, she kept asking about a boy with crimson eyes, and we all thought she was going to remember you. The doctor suggested calling you over, but by then your family had already left. So we showed Mikan a photo of the two of you instead. Her reaction...was terrifying, to say the least. She had a violent seizure, before blacking out completely. When she awoke, the doctor warned us to never mention you again, as you were the trigger to this behavior."

"...So then Mikan is never going to remember me again? And if I'm the "trigger" then why isn't she blacking out now?"

"I think it's because she hasn't made the connection that you and the boy from that picture are the same person. As for remembering you, the doctor said she would have to regain those memories by herself. Otherwise, it was not only dangerous but impossible."

"So then that's why her entire family cut off contact with all of us?"

"Yes, Hyuuga." Natsume silently watched the lake and I waited, giving him time to process what I just told him. It was beginning to get a little cold and a peek at the sky confirmed snow was coming soon. He looked up at me then, with frigid cold eyes.

"Why the _hell_ didn't any of you _tell_ me this? Did you think it was funny, leading me around blindly?" I let out a sigh, feeling a bit sorry for my cousin. But it wasn't my choice to keep it from him.

"If it were up to me, you would have known years ago. I couldn't tell you because I promised Mikan's parents and I never break a promise. Hell, I only told Ruka recently. If you want to know why you were kept in the dark, you'll have to ask Auntie Yuka and Uncle Izumi." Natsume's jaw tightened and I could tell he was gritting his teeth. He grabbed another stone and sent it flying across the lake. After hearing the very audible crack that resonated on the ice, I headed back towards the porch, deciding to give Natsume some private time. I plopped down on one of the few porch chairs that weren't covered in a fine layer of snow before closing my eyes and waiting silently. I was going through the parts of a new invention when Natsume suddenly slammed his hand down on the table in front of me. I slowly opened my eyes, slighted by the fact that he chose to interrupt in the middle of an invention idea. I think Natsume saw the murderous look on my face, as he took a slight step back before sitting down in the chair nearby. I rose a single eyebrow at him, took in his red cheeks and waited for him to speak.

"Why have you told me all of this now?" It's about time he asked that question. I was getting a bit bored waiting.

"Simple. I got sick of seeing the two of you suffer. As hard as it might be to believe the "ice queen" actually has feelings, Mikan happens to be my best friend. And you? Well, I truly couldn't care less about you. But Ruka does, for some reason, so I'm helping you for him. Besides, Mikan won't stop complaining about you, and frankly, it's getting a bit annoying. So stop being an ass so she'll stop bothering me." Natsume shook his head at my response, mumbling something along the lines of "Typical of the ice witch. What does Ruka see in her?" I cocked a brow before patting my pocket with the Baka gun in warning. Natsume got the idea, and immediately shut up. It was a while before he commented,

"You ask me to 'stop being an ass.' I assume that means you want me to go back to loving Mikan; to make her fall in love with me again?"

"It's about time you got it. Sheesh." I stared out at the lake, a small smile on my face as I realized that Natsume might finally let go of his ridiculous notions of revenge.

"I still think you're delusional. There's no way that's going to happen, Imai." My smile immediately wiped off as I rolled my eyes. Once an idiot, always an idiot. I let out a puff of breath, watching as the cold air fanned it out widely.

"And why is that, Hyuuga?"

"Simple. Mikan may not be responsible for all those calls or letters. But she's still responsible for what happened that day. I saw her, Imai. Not her mother, not her father. Mikan Sakura herself." I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear before staring at him blankly.

"Congratulations. You saw her. And that means _what_ exactly?"

"Don't get bitchy. She hugged a guy and he kissed her on the forehead before swinging her around. And she was definitely very very happy about it." I maintained my blank stare, trying to comprehend what the hell he was blabbing about. Mikan's never had a single boyfriend-even if she tried to maintain a secret relationship I would have found out. The behavior Natsume was describing was typical only in a relationship. It suddenly dawned on me who the only boy is that could get away with that sort of behavior with Mikan.

"Did he happen to have a star tattoo under one of his eyes? Blue hair too?" Natsume stared at me, a quick look of surprise flitting across his face before it disappeared. The action amused me as I realized how similar we were as cousins. Both of us were emotionless-facade masters. Although I was definitely better than him at it.

"Ya, he did. I'd never forget that bastard's face." I smirked. Oh yes, I was definitely far superior to my cousin. For one thing, I don't believe stupid sights.

"You know, for a genius you sure are slow. I think I should call the magazines and tell them my cousin is actually an idiot. That guy's name is Tsubasa Andou-"

"I don't give a crap what his name is, Imai. He can go burn in hell for all I care."

"If you interrupt me again I'll shoot you into the lake. Now, as I was saying, his name is Tsubasa. And he's happily married to Misaki Harada. In fact, their first kid is probably due in a couple weeks. What you saw was just the way Tsubasa always greets Mikan. Mikan's nothing more than a little sister to him, and for her, he's just an older brother type of figure. Like Ruka." This time a soft chuckle escaped my facade as I saw the look of absolute shock overcome Natsume. It wasn't often my cousin revealed his emotions, and I immediately whipped out my camera to capture the moment for his fangirls. Natsume snapped out of it at the camera flash, but I had already hidden my camera before he could even fathom stealing it. He sent a glare my way before it faded away to blankness.

"Then...that guy...and Mikan…."

"Yup. They're not and never will be a thing. Natsume, both Ruka and I know you still love Mikan. So why don't you make her fall in love with you again?"

"Even if she isn't a thing with that bastard, she doesn't even remember me, Imai! _What_ am I supposed to do?" I sighed, realizing how insecure Natsume was about Mikan right now.

"You idiot. She hasn't even tried dating in all these years, claiming that she never could 'find the right guy.' That's because even if she forgot, her heart never did. The only person who could possibly be the right guy for her is _you_. Now get off your ass and make her fall for you again, or else I really will blast you into the lake. More than once," I hissed, irritated at how I had to give him a pep talk. This better work, or else I'm shooting him. Ruka can pick up the pieces later.

"And just how do you propose I go about doing that? Mikan probably hates me right now," Natsume responded, standing up and scowling at me. That's it. I stood up in annoyance before grabbing my Baka gun.

BAKA BAKA BAKA! I rolled my eyes as Natsume nimbly dodged each bullet before placing his hands in his pockets. Cocky brat. Oh well, I have better things to do with my life than target Hyuuga.

"RUKA! Come on! We're leaving!" I yelled into the house, before grabbing my bag and heading off to the car. Ruka and I walked to their cabin in the morning, but this time we were taking the car back, especially because it finally started snowing. I opened the trunk and tossed my bag in, before heading over to the passenger seat.

"Hey, Imai. I'll give it a shot-there's no way I'm letting polka-dots forget the great Natsume Hyuuga." I smiled at the door for a moment before turning back to the "great" Hyuuga.

"Whatever. Just don't screw it up." With that, I slammed the door open and got in. Ruka eventually emerged from the cabin and paused next to Natsume. They had a brief conversation before Ruka gestured towards me. He gave a quick wave in goodbye before running down and hopping into the driver's seat. Ruka started the engine to turn on the heater and then stared at me for a while. He didn't say anything though and instead started back towards our cabin.

Third person POV from here:

Hotaru stared up at the sky, watching the soft snowflakes fall from her position on the porch swing. A blanket wrapped around her, she calmly pondered the outcome of Natsume and Mikan's relationship. Her blank facade was finally broken alone in solitude, and worry creased her eyebrows as she stared at the white sky.

SLAM

"Penny for your thoughts?" Ruka asked, the cabin door slamming behind him as he approached Hotaru with two steaming mugs of cocoa. Hotaru blinked before cheekily replying,

"Maybe a million pennies and I'll consider sharing." Ruka grinned, glancing down at one of the mugs. He extended the mug towards Hotaru.

"I don't know about a million pennies, but I can part with some cocoa. How 'bout it, dear?" A soft smile slipped onto the ice queen's face, as she turned towards Ruka who was now sitting next to her on the swing.

"Hmmmm….That's a pretty hard deal to refuse. Although I still would prefer a million pennies." Ruka chuckled at her response before handing Hotaru the mug. He took a sip from his own before snatching a corner of the blanket and settling in closer to Hotaru. Ruka patiently took another sip, before sending an encouraging smile towards Hotaru who only sighed in response.

"I'm worried…."

"About Natsume and Mikan?"

"Yes. Mikan still doesn't remember anything about Natsume and I don't know if she ever will. On top of that, I managed to convince Natsume that she lost her memories. But he seems extremely hesitant to be with her again and I honestly don't know how it's going to work out. What if the past...somehow repeats itself all over again?" Hotaru blurted out. Ruka concealed his expression, surprised to have heard the ice queen so vocal about her problems. He smiled then, realizing she must trust him a lot to have dropped her typical facade.

"You're worrying too much, Hotaru. Think about it: if Natsume and Mikan weren't destined to be together, then why would we all have met up in Greenland of all places? Why would a huge snowstorm have hit now, forcing the two of them to reunite? While I admit that what happened in the past was quite horrible, I believe that the present will yield a much better outcome."

"What makes you say that, Ruka?"

"Simple. Fate separated them when they were kids, but now it's working to bring them back together even stronger than ever. Not to mention the fact that they have a genius, gorgeous inventor and a charming prince as best friends to slap them if they act like idiots this time," Ruka languidly replied, ending his speech with a sexy wink at his fiancee. Hotaru snorted in response, but Ruka still caught the slight pink on her cheeks at being called gorgeous. He sent her a cheeky smile and took another sip of his cocoa. The two enjoyed the warmth of the blanket for a while longer before Hotaru recalled the brief conversation Ruka had with Natsume before they came back to the cabin.

"Neh, Ruka? What did you tell Natsume on your way out of their cabin?"

"Not much. Just to give Mikan another chance, as she was willing to give him one. Also that she had a surprise waiting for him inside. Oh, and if he hurts her again like whatever he did last night then I'll deck him." Hotaru snickered quietly at the thought of Ruka decking Natsume before she shot him into the lake. She sobered before inquiring,

"What surprise is that, exactly? Knowing Mikan though, it's probably something food-related."

"Right as usual. And ironically she chose strawberries." Hotaru smirked at the thought of Mikan using strawberries herself before agreeing with Ruka about how funny fate could be. She then glanced up at the sky in discontent when a snowflake landed on her eyelash. An image of Sheila flashed through her mind, bringing out a scowl at the thought of the flight attendant's incompetence. Another snowflake intruded upon her lashes and her scowl deepened.

"Ruka, it's still snowing. Which means we may be stuck out here longer than we thought, and since the announcement to the press about our engagement is scheduled for next week…"

"Oh, that? Well, I frankly don't care if the press has to wait a little longer, especially if it means spending more time with you. It's been pretty busy lately, what with work getting in the way-I fully plan to enjoy this respite. To hell with the press and the announcement; as long as I'm with you it doesn't matter who else knows." Hotaru smiled at Ruka's sweet words, before decidedly challenging him.

"Is that a fact? I recall quite a different mindset as kids-you tried your absolute hardest to get away from me so I couldn't take pictures. Ironically you always ended up chasing me to get the shots back, although it was in vain. It's hard to trump a genius after all." Hotaru sent a victorious smirk towards Ruka. It was quickly neutralized when Ruka flashed her a sexy smile before tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. After placing both of their cocoa mugs on the nearby table, he leaned closer and feathered kisses along her face teasingly. Hotaru let out a slight moan and Ruka finally pressed his lips against hers. Hotaru closed her eyes, waiting for Ruka to kiss her fully, only to open them in irritation when she felt him mumble instead,

"It's not that hard to trump you, dear. I just _let_ you win as kids." Ruka grinned before deeply kissing Hotaru on the lips. Hotaru placed her palm on his cheek and leaned in closer as Ruka wrapped one arm around her waist and moved the other arm towards the back of her hair.

"AAAHHH! WHAT THE…?!" Hotaru yelled, downright pissed at the stunt Ruka pulled. She quickly reached behind her shirt to remove the remainder of the cold snowball and then shot Ruka a very frigid glare that definitely ranked high in the Ice Queen's repertoire of dirty and angry looks. Ruka burst out in laughter as a response before jumping off the swing to escape. Too bad he didn't make it far.

BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA! Hotaru angrily fired her Baka gun at Ruka, before nailing the final shot and raising a cool eyebrow at her fiance who was now sprawled completely face down in the snow. Ruka got up from the snow, sending a sheepish grin towards Hotaru, who helped him up from the floor. She yanked him closer by his collar, before issuing out a warning.

"Next time you do that, Ruka, I'll launch you into the frozen lake along with your stupid best friend. But...thank you for the cocoa." Hotaru waved her Baka gun to reinforce the threat before stalking into the cabin with the two empty mugs. Ruka stared stupidly after her before smiling and shaking his head.

"I have _got_ to get that Baka gun away from her. Preferably before she gets pregnant with our first child."

* * *

Wow, that was... actually a super hard chapter to write. I had a bit of trouble with the flashback because a lot of the beginning stuff was Mikan's thoughts and actions. At first, I made it so that when she fell off the tree it was already sunset, but then the timeline didn't fit well with Natsume's arrival and I had to completely rewrite that part. Then there was her injury-I knew she couldn't walk, but I didn't know what kind of injury to give her leg! In the end, I decided to pick a gash so that she could wrap it; mainly because I wanted Natsume to ask her why she had a first aid kit. I always carry a full first aid kit with me and am always being asked why I have it on me-I guess that was the first idea that popped into my head and I just sorta rolled with it.

I was also kinda worried about how Hotaru's POV turned out-I've never written her POV ever, and she's completely different from my personality. I'm a bit similar to Mikan, so I can kind of relate to her. But Hotaru? Yikes...I hope it turned out alright though-and isn't OOC! Haha, I also had to rewrite part of the present because I totally 100% forgot they were in the middle of a snowstorm and Natsume's rock throwing wouldn't result in ripples if the lake was frozen solid. I did enjoy writing the bit of Rukaru there at the end-although I'm not really sure if it turned out very fluffy at all haha!

Anyways, please tell me how you feel about this chapter (and the story in general)! I hope you enjoyed, and thank you for reading! The next chapter will be the formation of a bit of a truce between Mikan and Natsume! (And finally some food!)

~Breezylyn


	6. Truce

_**A/N related to edit: Hey! I edited something Natsume says in the last paragraph of this chapter! Thank you, T. Mari, for bringing this to my attention! I didn't realize it earlier but the sentence where Natsume threatens to kill Fate if it interferes was super misleading. I used the pronoun him for Fate, but that could have been interpreted as Natsume saying he would kill himself if Fate interferes! I meant to say that Natsume would kill fate if it interfered, not himself. Just wanted to clear that up :) (Also I'm not really sure if FFN sends an email to people if I just edit something in a chapter...)**_

Hey, Everyone! I bet you weren't expecting an update so soon-but for some reason, this chapter just popped out. I had a ton of fun writing the present scene between Natsume and Mikan, and I think it turned out alright!

Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice, Yumeiro Patissiere or Kitchen Princess! This chapter finally has some elements from YP and KP, so for those of you who are as big fans of those franchises as I am, let's see if you can catch them!

A huge thanks as always to everybody that reads, reviews, etc. this fic-I'm writing this for you guys, so it helps knowing people actually read this! Without further ado, I present to you chapter 6! Enjoy!

 **Flashback: Natsume's POV**

 **Present: Mikan's POV (Switches to Natsume at the end)**

* * *

TRUCE

* * *

 _There was one left. One chick-all of its siblings had already jumped out of the nest and were flying. I lazily watched as it stayed in its nest, staring up at its mother with large eyes, waiting for food. Only to be severely confused as its mother took the worm in its beak and moved out to the branch. As though encouraging the last of its offspring to venture out and fly, the mother wiggled the worm tantalizingly. The chick just chirped in sadness and I watched as it tried then failed to leave the nest._

 _With a scoff, I turned back to the account book in front of me for Kuro Neko. I had to verify all of these sums and report to my father by tonight. It had to be tonight because Aoi's class is having a family picnic tomorrow, and my parents blackmailed me. They said they won't go tomorrow unless I finish all the accounts by tonight and if they don't show up Aoi will get bullied again. She doesn't say anything, but her tears are enough to tell me when something has happened at school. I followed her to school once to see how she was doing, and it took every piece of my willpower to not beat up the kids teasing her for not having parents who care about her, their basis being that they never come to any of the parent-child events. So this time I have to finish the work, for Aoi. I glanced distastefully at the pile of books left to check. The work wasn't necessarily difficult, in fact, it was quite the opposite-any twelve-year old could do this. What made the task nearly impossible, however, was the sheer amount of books to be checked in the period of a few hours. Most twelve-year olds wouldn't have been able to process this many books in a few days, but I had to by myself in a few hours. Then again, my parents know I'm not just any twelve-year old. While it was manageable, I wouldn't have time for anything else today. I glanced at my forgotten manga, lying on the table nearby. It was currently recess time and normally I would have been lounging atop the sakura tree with my manga._

 _I pinched the bridge of my nose in irritation before finishing up the current book and reaching for the next one. After completing a few more, I looked out the window once more. My eyes narrowed as I saw the pathetic bird from earlier still stuck in the nest. This time, however, all of the siblings and the mother were gone. I sighed sadly before getting back to work. According to the clock, recess would last another 45 minutes, since it was extended today because it's the end of the week._

" _IMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIII!" GIVE THOSE PHOTOS BACK TO ME!" I cocked an eyebrow before looking out the window once more and witnessing Imai on her stupid duck scooter waving what looked like two Polaroid pictures at Ruka, who was trying to pursue her using one of the stable's horses. That explained why Ruka suddenly disappeared at the start of recess with a murderous look. I rolled my eyes before grabbing the next book._

 _BANG! "AHHHHH! WHERE IS IT? Mr. Water Bottle! Where are you hidin-Natsume?" My eyebrows ticked in agitation; would the distractions never end? I sent a glare towards Polka, who walked over to her bag and grabbed her water bottle before approaching me, completely impervious to my glare. The pile of books next to me caught my eye and I realized I didn't have time to waste on the pig-tailed idiot. I ran a hand through my hair before flipping the next book off the tower and quickly skimming it._

" _Natsume? What are you doing in here on such a beautiful day?" I ignored the girl, signed the page off and haphazardly tossed the account into the finished pile._

" _YOU JERK! DON'T JUST IGNORE ME LIKE THAT!" I shook my head, realizing the stupid child wouldn't leave and only make more of a commotion if I didn't answer her dumb question._

" _What does it look like I'm doing, Polka? Now get out-I'm busy and don't have time to deal with you today." I went back to work, masking my exhaustion with a smirk. The best way to get somebody to leave you alone was to be rude. It's too bad I forgot that the person in front of me was a complete airhead, not to mention abnormal._

" _You can't make me do anything Natsume! If I want to stay in this classroom then I will!" With that Mikan plopped down on the desk in front of me, sitting backward so she could watch me work. I continued to ignore her, figuring it was the best way to get her to leave the room. Mikan Sakura was a lot of things, but patient wasn't one of them. I zoned back into my work, deciding to knock out 10 more books within the next couple of minutes. I wasn't sure how much time had passed, but I heard the scrape of the chair in front of me and figured Mikan had finally gotten bored enough to leave._

" _Neh, Natsume? What are you doing with all of those books?" I looked up, slightly baffled to see that Mikan hadn't left yet and had, in fact, scooted her chair closer to me. I cocked a brow before responding offhandedly._

" _Oh, you're still here?"_

" _Oh, you're still a jerk?" I smirked, finally shutting the book in front of me and staring curiously at Mikan. Any normal twelve-year old would have booked it once they realized I wasn't interested in conversing with them. Although, I suppose I've already established Mikan Sakura was far from normal. A fleeting thought entered my mind as I pictured how much Aoi would like Mikan. The image was immediately scrubbed from my mind as I recalled the task at hand, and my expression immediately blanked as I seized another book from the slowly dwindling tower. Mikan huffed and I was thankful that she was likely to leave soon. Distractions were the last thing I needed right now. Imagine my surprise when she slammed her hand on top of the page I was currently looking at. I felt a twinge of fury at the little girl for getting in my way._

" _Move," I grumbled, venom entering my tone._

" _No."_

" _I said move, Polka."_

" _And I said no!" With that, Mikan snatched the book away from the desk and dangled it enticingly in front of me. My eyebrows twitched in indignation and I could feel my patience thinning swiftly. I shot a warning look at Mikan, who had the grace to look a bit scared. But she shook off her doubt quickly before taking a few steps back. I glanced out the window for a moment, seeing the baby bird with another bird flying next to it, as though trying to help it. A sneer made its way on my face as I instead focused on the nuisance of a girl in front of me. I was not in the mood to play with her today and clearly, she didn't understand that._

" _Give. Me. The. Book. NOW" I roared, my patience finally snapping. Mikan flinched slightly and then stared back at me with a determined look._

" _I will do no such thing!" I immediately shot up from my desk as a final warning to the girl. She completely disregarded it, taking another small step towards the classroom door. Mikan continued on, ignoring the murderous glare on my face._

" _At least not...until you tell me why you're all alone with a huge pile of boring books while everyone else is outside playing tag. Well except for Hotaru and Ruka...although I guess they kind of are playing tag too." I sighed, realizing my threats weren't going to work on her and the best way to get the girl out of the classroom was to answer her question._

" _I'm working, haven't you ever heard of that?"_

" _Yes, I happen to have two functioning eyes, Natsume._ Why _are you working, and_ what _are you working on?"_

" _Tch. Has anybody ever told you how annoying you are?"_

" _Only you, actually. I'm not going to leave you alone until you answer me."_

" _Whatever Polka-dots. I have to verify all these accounts for Kuro Neko Industries by tonight."_

" _All...of these? By yourself? Natsume, that's almost impossible to do by tonight! Who gave you that deadline anyway?"_

" _My parents, little girl."_

" _Oh please, like you'd_ actually _listen to your parents. You don't listen to anybody!"_

" _...Don't act like you know everything when you actually don't know anything, you stupid little girl. You don't know what it's like to have parents like mine, so don't comment," I hissed, angry at how easily she dismissed me. She didn't have any idea what Hell I lived in, the privileged brat that she was. She didn't know what it was like watching your little sister cry because you failed in protecting her from the people who should have protected her in the first place._

" _Then why don't you enlighten me, genius? How am I supposed to know if you don't tell me? I'm not a mind reader, you know." I was quiet for a moment, planning my next move. If I told her the truth then she would obstinately demand to talk with my parents and "fix" things. That was something I had to prevent because the last thing I wanted was for this girl to lose her innocence to my parents: they would roast her alive. But for some reason, I couldn't bring up another lie about my family. Maybe it was the fact that I was sick of keeping it all to myself, maybe it was her stubborn demeanor. Either way, I somehow ended up telling her the truth, at least, a version of it._

" _For Aoi...if I don't finish all these by tonight then she will cry. And as long as I am alive, I will not let Aoi cry." I looked back out the window, secretly hoping that she wouldn't pry more. Just telling her about Aoi's tears and how they depended on my work was hard enough. I wasn't ready to "open up" about my disastrous parents. If they could even be classified as parents. I saw the baby bird flapping its wings desperately, trying to fly out of the nest. What surprised me, however, was the other bird that had come earlier. It was still encouraging the loser to keep trying. I blinked, snapping out of it when Mikan responded._

" _Natsume...you're right. I'm not in any position to make comments; please accept my apologies for what I said earlier. I don't really understand what you meant about Aoi crying or the connection that has to all these books. But I feel like you don't want to talk about it, at least not to me," Mikan began with a soft tone. I internally cringed-here it was. The part where she rejected me because I didn't want to tell her anything. I'd seen it happen before numerous times; why should this be any different?_

" _And...that's alright, Natsume. I know you'll tell me when you are ready." My eyes widened slightly-Mikan wasn't holding it against me. I finally met her gaze, seeing the gentleness in her eyes. "For now, though, I have a great idea! I still haven't thanked you yet for helping me in the forest that day and I think this is the perfect opportunity! You're obviously working too hard and need a break, so why don't you come outside and join in the tag game with everyone! It's like tag plus, since we're playing on the equipment, and I know you'll have a lot of fun!" I shook my head, disappointed to have to be the one to break her happy mood._

" _Polka, I don't have time for games. So give me back the book: I have to finish all of these soon. You've already wasted a lot more of my time than I had available."_

" _Mou, Natsume! Stop being a martyr. I refuse to give you this book-if you want it that badly, you'll just have to take it from me!" Mikan cheekily responded, sticking her tongue out at me. She then whirled around and headed towards the door with the book. I glared at her before muttering curses under my breath. What part of "I don't have time for this" does she not understand? I kicked my chair behind me and slowly stalked over to the girl. Rather than fearing my glare, however, Mikan just giggled._

" _Oh Natsume! Stop being so serious all the time-there's no need to worry! You'll finish everything by tonight even if you play with the rest of us for a bit."_

" _Are you blind, Polka-dots? Can't you see the number of books I have left?"_

" _Well, ya. But I never said you were going to finish everything alone. What's the purpose of friends if they aren't willing to help you out in your time of need? If everyone pitches in, we can finish these books in no time! And don't tell me that this work is too complicated to trust to just anybody-I can see that it's just some simple math sums that any of us can do! Now come on; we have to go ask everybody for help after tag!" My words were completely gone as I watched this chaotic little girl completely turn my life around once more. She was convinced that everyone in the class would be willing to help me out, yet I knew better. Why would anybody want to help someone as antisocial and rude as me? I shook my head slightly before deciding to humor the little girl and go with her. I followed her through the winding hallways outside to the playground, where she ran into the center of the tag game and cupped her hands around her mouth._

" _EVERYBODY! WE NEED YOUR HELP!" All the other members of my class stopped in the middle of the game and started gossiping with each other once they saw me. Yuu Tobita, the class president, approached Mikan and asked on behalf of the class what she was talking about. I watched stoically as Mikan explained my predicament to the whole class, gesturing towards me often._

" _Looks like Sakura-san is helping you out, right Natsume?" I looked up to find Ruka standing next to me and then saw Imai standing near Mikan. A soft smirk cascaded on my face as I realized that Mikan had somehow convinced the whole class to help me out. Although it did come as a bit of a shock: I never thought of these people as friends before. Mikan suddenly ran over with a thumbs-up before pushing the account book she stole into my hands. She ran back into the tag game, waving me closer to the others._

" _NATSUME! YOU'RE IT!" I rolled my eyes at the joy in her voice before glancing up at the sky. There, in front of me, were two baby chicks flying together. One of them flew hesitantly, while the other chirped it on in encouragement and I fleetingly recognized them as the pair from the nest. A smirk made its way on my face as I set my sights on catching Mikan Sakura. She wasn't getting away from me this time._

* * *

Let's see… Natsume doesn't seem like the sugar-loving type and if I remember when Hotaru and Ruka got us coffee at the airport, he took his black. So less sugar would be good for the rhubarb confiture. I smiled as I mixed the confection on the stovetop, waiting for the perfect texture to arise. Ruka was completely right: if I give up so easily in breaking the ice around Natsume then what's the point? Nothing in life comes easily, so why should the engagement be any different? Feeling determined, I whisked the confiture some more before turning the stove off. " _When you eat something good, you smile."_ I first heard those words as a kid and now I live by them. My dream is to become a pastry chef and to open my own shop, a place where everyone who enters will leave with a smile on their face. Every single person has their own challenges, their own obstacles to face in life. I want the people who eat my sweets to become a little bit happier and to realize that they're never alone in facing their problems. That even if things in life are looking impossible, there's still a way to smile. I feel a bit ashamed to admit this, but I had forgotten my dream in the face of the engagement. It wasn't until Ruka reminded me earlier that I remembered: sometimes there are better ways to communicate emotions than through words. I began washing the frais de bois, or the perfect type of strawberry for a tart like this, and recollected the conversation I had with Ruka earlier.

" _Well, why don't you get dressed first and then I'll tell you." Ruka made his way towards the door to leave, before pausing. He turned back, almost like an afterthought._

" _Mikan. While you may not be able to do anything to change the past, you should always remember it. Because the past is what shapes the present, and the present what shapes the future. I know if you try hard, you yourself will remember." With that, Ruka left, shutting the door behind him. I blinked, a bit confused by his cryptic statement. Obviously, you should always remember the past, even if the memories are painful. Because someday, you'll be able to look back at those memories with a new outlook, and that's when you'll be glad you kept those memories safe. I shrugged before grabbing a dress from the closet and heading to the bathroom to finish my morning rituals._

 _Dressed in my new outfit, I finally headed over towards the living room where Ruka was seated with a mug of coffee in front of him._

" _Any chance I could get some of that?" I asked, staring daggers at his coffee. Ruka glanced up with a soft chuckle before gesturing towards one of the chairs in front of him. I sat down and stared ahead as Ruka got up to make me a cup of coffee. When he finally returned, he slid the steaming cup in front of me before sitting back down again. I inhaled the rich aroma and asked about what Ruka said earlier._

" _Ruka. You said there was something I could do for Natsume earlier. What...exactly were you talking about?"_

" _Ah, yes I suppose I did say that. Well, you see Mikan, there's something that you can do that neither me, Hotaru or anybody else can. A special talent, per se." I rose an eyebrow at Ruka, not following at all. The one thing that I was particularly better at than most was making food, and I didn't quite see how that fit with Natsume._

" _If you're referring to the fact that I can bake, well, I'm not quite following how that relates to Natsume. Unless you happen to know some other talent that I possess that isn't coming to mind right now?" I inquired, slightly frustrated that I couldn't understand any of Ruka's riddles today. Ruka calmly took a sip from his mug before fixing me with an amused grin. I pouted, realizing he was having fun confusing me._

" _You know, Ruka, you might want to invest in fewer riddles. Maybe then I'll_ actually _glean some knowledge from our conversations," I snapped, fixing a scowl at said person. Ruka chuckled again before finally obliging my request._

" _Fine, fine. What I'm saying is you bake something for Natsume. Natsume...has had some rough times, and I think you're the only one who can remind him he's not alone. Since he's not as willing to listen to words, why don't you put all your feelings into baking and make him understand through that? After all, what is it you always say? When you eat something good…"_

" _You smile," I finished, a soft grin surpassing my face as I pondered Ruka's suggestion. He's right! If Mr. Conceited Jerk wasn't willing to listen to my words, maybe I could smack him in the face with my emotions through food! And if that doesn't work, I'll actually smack him in the face with a dessert, preferably something sticky and hard to get out of hair. A wicked grin replaced my expression at the satisfying thought of Natsume scrubbing shampoo in his hair for hours trying (and failing) to get honey out. Ruka rose an eyebrow at my expression before rolling his eyes._

" _Mikan, Natsume may come across as a jerk, but he's actually a really good guy. Give him a chance-and don't even think about throwing food at Natsume. That would make things worse between you, not to mention be a waste of perfectly good food." I gaped, shocked that Ruka had figured out what direction my thoughts progressed. Man was he good-forget being a CEO; Ruka needs to get into the psychiatrist business, or become an interrogator or something like that. Or better yet, the fortune-telling business! I'm sure Koko could hook him up too! I shook my stray thoughts aside before focusing back on the issue at hand._

" _Ruka… Do you know what Natsume likes to eat? I mean, he doesn't really strike me as the "I love sweets!" kinda guy, you know?" A strange look overcame Ruka's eyes, almost like he was reliving some memory of the past and I cocked my head in confusion._

" _Ruka?"_

" _Oh! Sorry, Mikan, I was just...remembering something. The truth is that Natsume used to hate sweets as a kid, but a girl from his childhood changed that through her love of baking. He really likes strawberries, so maybe make something with those?"_

Hmmm… thinking about it now, I wonder if the girl Ruka was referring to was the same one he mentioned earlier. The one that he couldn't tell me more about. I shrugged before cutting the last strawberry in half. I let out a sigh before checking the oven to see if the tart base had finished baking. A peek at the tarts revealed it would take at least a couple more minutes, and since I had already finished making the almond cream, pastry cream and strawberry syrup, I took a seat at the kitchen table for a moment. After Ruka's advice about the strawberries, I decided to make a strawberry tart that I once had in a store in Paris. I think it was called Sourire de L'ange, or something like that. All I remember is that it was absolutely delectable and when I got home I immediately remade the tart as best as I could from the taste alone. Ever since then, this tart is something I make when I'm feeling down and need to cheer myself up. I figured this would be the best thing to make for Natsume, as a sort of truce. I giggled, thinking of what happened as soon as I told Ruka my plans to make the strawberry tart. Before he could respond, we both heard the trademark sound of Hotaru's Baka gun outside and Hotaru immediately summoned Ruka after that. We both decided since she seemed to be in a foul mood that he would go on ahead; I'd meet with Hotaru later. I frowned, realizing it had been a few hours since they left yet Natsume still hadn't come back inside the cabin. Hopefully he's alright outside, especially since it started snowing a little while ago. I mean, the guy sure is impossible but that doesn't mean I want him to freeze to death or something like that!

TING! The oven finally went off, and I scrambled over to remove the tarts before they could get burned. I placed them on the counter to cool for a couple minutes and grabbed the remaining ingredients. After adding a layer of the pastry cream, I formed a mound on top using the spatula with the almond cream. Next, I drizzled the strawberry syrup and finished the tarts with some of the strawberry pieces I had cut earlier. I set the tarts aside and began to clean up the kitchen, anxiety filling me as I wondered when Natsume would be back.

It was about ten minutes after I finished cleaning that Natsume entered the cabin. There was a SLAM from the front door and I hastily got up from the kitchen chair and headed towards the front room. Natsume removed his jacket, then shook the snow from his boots before kicking them off. I shyly watched him, unsure of how to start a conversation with him after last night. Natsume looked up and locked eyes with me. Neither of us said anything for a while and the atmosphere became even more awkward.

 _At least he isn't glaring at me, though…._

I bit my lip before deciding to say something-anything was better than this tension.

"H...Hello Natsume. How was your morning? The weather's looking pretty awful, isn't it?" I sighed, realizing my attempt at small talk was pathetic. The weather? Really, Mikan? I might as well have just pulled out a board with flashing lights alerting him to how I didn't have a clue what to say. Natsume just rose a brow at me before responding.

"Cold, which is reasonable seeing how it's snowing outside," Natsume deadpanned. I cringed slightly-what was I expecting anyway? A polite answer? Natsume must have seen my expression since he continued with a bit of a lighter tone. "How was your morning, Mikan?" My eyes widened in shock because this was the first time he had ever called me Mikan. I felt my cheeks heat up and immediately wanted to smack my head on the wall! He calls me by my name _once_ and I lose control! Sheesh, at the rate this was going my face was going to be the color of a strawberry! Strawberries! Oh my god! I completely forgot about the tarts!

"It was fine, Natsume! Actually, I have a surprise for you! Come to the kitchen with me, won't you?" I asked imploringly, half expecting him to roll his eyes at me and leave the cabin again. Only to be a bit surprised when he gave me a simple nod and headed to the kitchen himself. I blinked before hurrying to catch up to him and headed over to the kitchen table. Natsume quietly stood to the side, observing as I lifted the plate off the two tarts and showed him. I placed one of the tarts on a separate plate and walked over to him.

"Natsume...I, uh, made strawberry tarts this morning. I know that we didn't really get off to a good start, but I'm willing to start fresh again if you are…Oh! I hope you like strawberries-Ruka told me that you do, so I went with what he said but if you don't I could always make you something else. And your tart has a little bit less sugar in it because you took your coffee black at the airport, so I figured you didn't really like sweet things as much, but if you actually do like sugar then maybe I could-" I was interrupted as Natsume took the plate from my hands before grabbing a fork, slicing into it and taking a bite. I held my breath in anticipation, worried that he would find it terrible. It was all I could do to not sigh in relief when he gave me a small smile after swallowing.

"Hey, this isn't half bad, little girl." With that single comment, Natsume took his plate and sat down at the table, across from where my tart sat waiting. Although I tried to suppress it, a huge grin came on my face as I realized that that comment was Natsume's way of agreeing to our truce. I immediately sat down in my chair and began feasting on my tart. A jubilant smile came on my face at the first bite, as the strawberry syrup delicately feathered my tongue. It was just soooo good! I scooped up another bite with my fork before realizing Natsume's gaze was on me. I glanced up at his amused expression and blushed, realizing that I must look like a mannerless slob to him.

 _Control yourself, Mikan! He's your fiance-try and look a little bit lady-like!_ I cleared my throat before sitting straighter and delicately cutting another piece from the tart. Natsume let out a chuckle and I glared at him, realizing there was no point acting lady-like for someone like him. With a satisfied "Hmph" I went back to my methods of eating.

"You know, Pigtails, if you eat any faster you could choke." I scowled at Natsume and his stupid nickname for me, who was now watching me with his signature smirk. Natsume put another bite of his own tart in his mouth and chewed leisurely. He clicked his tongue when he finished chewing and sent me a casual grin. I blushed again, realizing that this person in front of me was dubbed a ladies-killer for a reason. He was just...so...charismatic dammit! I quickly shoved another mouthful in my mouth in hope that he wouldn't see my blush. Big Mistake. Natsume pushed his chair back and came over to where I was choking before smacking me in the back.

"Honestly, people are going to think the next heiress to Sakura Corp is a pig if you keep this up." I grimaced, realizing I made myself look like an even bigger idiot in front of Natsume. My solitary thought was to do something to preserve my dignity. Since having Natsume in close proximity made me say stupid things, I decided to keep quiet and simply scoop up another chunk of the tart.

Natsume gently grabbed my hand and moved it closer to him, while I stared speechlessly. He directed the fork towards his mouth, leaned in and slowly wrapped his lips around _my_ fork and _my_ tart. My mouth dropped open in shock-who the hell was this guy and what did he do with Natsume Hyuuga? Cold Natsume Hyuuga, who wanted nothing more than to hurt me? I continued balking at Natsume, staring at his crimson eyes in complete confusion. Natsume snickered before smirking back at me, clearly amused. I zoomed in on his crooked smile and that's when it registered that Natsume ate _my_ tart. Which meant that he...he….he…. My heartbeat tripled in pace and I knew I must have resembled a tomato based off the heat I felt in my cheeks. I immediately scooted my chair back, trying to put a little distance between me and the… the… the tart stealer!

"I...I...You… WHAT WAS THAT FOR?" I shrieked, still blushing immensely. Natsume's only reaction was to widen his smirk and I began to feel irritation.

"You...You… YOU TART SNATCHER! Quit smiling like that! It makes me nervous!" I blushed harder, realizing what I just said and then groaned. Great, just tell him that you're actually kinda attracted to him and blow up his ego even further Mikan! AGH!

"Hnnnnnn? So I'm making you nervous? Are you sure it's because of my smile and not because of your feelings of love for me?" I stared at Natsume in horror before immediately spluttering out a rejection.

"NO! NO! NO! NO NO NO NO! I DO _NOT_ LOVE YOU! IN FACT, I HATE YOU!"

"Hate? You're a pretty poor liar, Pigtails. If you hate me so much, then why are your cheeks the color of the strawberries in this tart? Maybe I'll start calling you Strawberry Cheeks instead." Anger rushed into me as I processed what Natsume just called me. Strawberry Cheeks my ass! This jerk was _so_ asking for it! I scraped my chair back angrily and immediately stood up. Natsume cocked an amused brow at me before backing away slightly once he realized I was trembling in anger. I pointed a finger at him, wishing it was more of a dagger.

"YOU JACKASS! LET ME GET ONE THING STRAIGHT HERE! I DO _NOT_ LIKE YOU AND AM _ONLY_ OFFERING A TRUCE BECAUSE OF MY PARENTS AND SAKURA CORP! NOR WILL I EVER LIKE YOU, SO THERE!"

"Whatever you say, Pigtails," Natsume nonchalantly replied before pulling on one of my pony tails with a smirk. THAT WAS IT! I could feel steam almost pouring out of my body and directed my laser glare at Natsume before running at him. Natsume sent a cocky grin my way before turning around and running. I pursued him, determined to not let him off like that. We ran from the kitchen into my bedroom, where Natsume did a full circuit around the room before hopping across my bed and back out the door. DAMN HIM! WHY DOES HE HAVE TO BE SO FAST?

"GET BACK HERE, YOU TART SNATCHER!" I screamed, following him into the living room. Now, I totally blame my socks for what happened next. The wooden floor in the living room is extremely slick and Natsume was running so fast that I slipped on the floor. I cried out a warning, but before Natsume could get out of the way barrelled right into him.

SMACK! We both fell onto the floor, hard, and I groaned before opening my eyes. What awaited me were two crimson pools, watching me warily.

 _They're so… shiny. Almost like rubies…._

I shook the childish thought from my head when Natsume sent me another smirk.

"Amazing. Not only are you childish, a pig, and loud, but you're also clumsy too. Are you sure you're the real Mikan Sakura and not some fake?" My jaw twitched in annoyance at the fact that Natsume was accusing me of being a fake! I sent him a mean glare (or at least tried to… I wasn't really that good at glaring, to be honest) and took a deep breath. Only to inhale what smelled like mint, mixed with spices: what I quickly recognized to be Eau de Natsume. I shook my head before finally snapping,

"Of course I'm the real thing! I'm an amazing, talented, gorgeous, charming woman too! Now get off of me-you're really heavy Natsume!" A shocked look went through his eyes and I gazed at him curiously. He brought back his blank facade but still didn't move.

"HELLO? Didn't you hear me? GET OFF!" Natsume sent me another dangerous smirk and I internally groaned, realizing he wasn't planning to obey my wishes whatsoever.

"Charming? That wasn't the impression I got when we kissed last night. In fact, if I recall, you're actually a terrible kisser. I would hardly call someone who can't even kiss properly charming, gorgeous or talented. At the rate you're going, you're never going to get a guy to fall for you." HOW DARE HE! I puffed my cheeks out in rage, getting ready to battle him with my words when he shocked me even further. Natsume placed his lips lightly on my forehead, and I could feel him smile for just a moment. I blushed again, my words completely robbed by his actions.

"Then again, I don't want you to get another guy," Natsume murmured against my forehead in a voice that was so quiet, I was convinced I misheard him. I looked up at him, unsure about what emotion I was feeling.

"N..Natsume? What did you just say?" Natsume moved back before staring at me blankly. A glimmer of mischief entered his eyes and he smirked again.

"Just that you're quite heavy and should really consider going on a diet." My eyes narrowed and I immediately felt pissed. This BASTARD! He's the one on top of me and he has the gall to call _me_ fat? I know I eat a lot of sweets, but my high metabolism makes up for it! I sent laser beams his way before placing my hands on his chest and pushing with all my might.

"NATSUME BASTARD HYUUGA! GET OFF OF ME RIGHT NOW! HOW _DARE_ YOU CALL ME FAT?!" I coupled all my strength into a final push at the word fat, and Natsume finally rolled off of me with a grunt. Good! Let him feel pain! I sprang to my feet, ready to smack his face if he dared say anything more. All my intentions washed away when Natsume got up, dusted himself off and then approached me slowly. He paused right before me and all I could do was stare into his hypnotic eyes. I flinched when he extended a hand, relaxing instead when he casually tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"You might want to button up your shirt, Polka-dots. I'm going to bed, don't bother me." Natsume smirked one more time at me before turning around and stalking off to his room. He shut the door behind him, and I stared, stupefied. His words sunk in and I cocked my head in confusion. Polka...dots? I glanced down at my shirt and saw the first few buttons were completely undone, revealing my polka-dotted bra. My face flamed in embarrassment and I screamed in frustration. THAT PERVERT! I sank down to the floor once again, recalling how he kissed me on the forehead, and felt my heart pound ridiculously fast. As much as I hated to admit it, Natsume was making my emotions run all over the place. He was completely disrupting my life and the honest truth was that I kind of enjoyed it. I shook my head at the thought-how could I possibly enjoy having a jerk like him on top of me?

A brief image overcame my vision as I saw a scene just like this one unfold in front of me. There was a girl with pigtails on top of a...boy with...crimson eyes? My eyes widened in shock as I realized the girl was me. The image vanished before I could get a good look at the boy and a frightening thought overcame me.

 _Was that...Natsume?_

No… it couldn't possibly have been him...I've never seen him before yesterday. I discarded my scattered thoughts hesitantly and headed to my room to get ready for bed.

* * *

(Natsume's POV)

* * *

The warm water cascaded down my shoulders while I stared at the wall in front of me. A smirk adorned my face as I recalled the scene earlier. Polka-dots sure hasn't changed. She even wears the same printed underwear. Although it gave me a bit of a shock when she called me heavy-those were the exact words I used on her on our second ever encounter as children. I licked my lips, tasting some of the strawberry tart from earlier and smiled softly. Even now, her dream of making others smile through food is a reality. The tart was delicious, and I realized how much more talented she must be now than when we were kids at baking. With her skills, she really could open up a first-class bakery someday. Hell, she could probably win famous competitions with her sweets. It was quite a surprise to see her make me a strawberry dessert too, considering she was the reason I liked strawberries in the first place.

I shook my head slyly, realizing that Ruka was the one who set this entire thing up. He may appear gentle, but inside that prince-charming personality rested a scheming soul. And he wasn't the only one scheming-it was obvious Imai would be his partner in crime for meddling. I grunted, silently thankful for Imai clearing up the truth, although I still had a lot of questions, namely for Izumi and Yuka Sakura. I narrowed my eyes in agitation at the thought that they had kept me in the dark for close to ten years. Ten years wasted on anger and revenge.

I closed my eyes for a while longer and then turned the shower off. After reaching for a towel, I dried myself off and slipped into my sleep wear. My hands ran through my wet hair and I wondered if Mikan would ever regain her memories of the past. Yesterday, when I kissed her, she completely blacked out. Today, though, nothing happened. What was so different about yesterday anyways? I guess she was wearing different clothing… including the necklace. I pictured the sakura pendant she was wearing at the airport and last night clearly in my head, a slight smile coming to my face. It pissed me off completely yesterday, but now that I knew the truth I was glad that she had kept the ancient relic. One day she would remember just who gave her that necklace. Either way, I knew that this time things would be different. Fate wouldn't be a bastard this time-and if it decided to separate Mikan and me anyway, I was going to kill fate myself. I closed the bathroom door behind me and headed to my room, ready to succumb to sleep.

* * *

Mwahaha! Some of you may have noticed, but the past is repeating itself just a bit for Mikan and Natsume! Don't worry though, this won't be the only occasion where that happens. (Inserts smirk here-I think writing Natsume's POV or just dialogue from him, in general, is starting to rub off on me ahahah). Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this new chapter and stay tuned for the next one: Natsume's finally going to get some answers from the Sakura family!

Thank you for reading, and PLEASE review or something cause I wanna know if you guys are enjoying this or not!

~Breezylyn


	7. Friends

Yo! Before I say anything, I just want to say happy solar eclipse! Make sure not to look at the sun directly when it's covered, cause you could go blind and that would be a terrible thing indeed.

Chapter 7 is finally here, sorry for any delays! As always, I'm going to start off by thanking everybody who reviewed, favorited/followed and read Rekindling the Past! It's always a joy seeing reviews: no author wants to write a story just for themselves. I mean, if they did, then they wouldn't bother publishing haha!

Also, as always, I don't own GA, Yumeiro Patissiere or Kitchen Princess! Seriously though, if you haven't checked out KP or YP I highly recommend you do!

Without further ado, I present to you chapter 7!

 **Flashback: Mikan's POV**

 **Present: Ruka's POV, shifts to Natsume's POV**

* * *

FRIENDS

* * *

" _Mou! How is this supposed to fit into this? Maybe if I….."_

 _CRACK_

" _AHHH! IT BROKE!" With a huff, I tossed the broken mast on the desk. I was beginning to feel extremely frustrated with the challenge Narumi Sensei assigned the class for today. The rules of the challenge were pretty simple: we were to be placed into teams of four people at random and then to build a boat using only the materials provided. We had one hour to build and then the competition would commence outside near the pond. Narumi Sensei would time how long it took the boat to make it across the pond and the team whose boat went the fastest would win the grandest of prizes! A huge box of Howalon, the fluffiest, sweetest, most scrumptious heaven to exist on this world! I just_ had _to win, no matter what!_

 _At first, I thought it would be easy because the random shuffling resulted in Ruka, Hotaru, Natsume and myself on a team. Although now that I think about it, the teams didn't seem too random. Either way, I figured with two geniuses like Hotaru and Natsume, we would win this challenge in a cinch-especially because Hotaru specialized in inventing things! Unfortunately, my aspirations were quickly shot when Hotaru decided blackmailing Ruka would be a far better use of her time and Natsume just reclined in his chair to take a nap, draping his manga across his face to block out the light. Ruka wasn't any help either because he was trying to stop Hotaru from selling more embarrassing photos._

" _IMAI! GIVE ME THAT PHOTO BACK RIGHT NOW!"_

" _And why should I do that? It's selling quite well, really. Maybe I should make an announcement during lunch to everyone and make more sales off this pose."_

" _IMAIIII! YOU WITCH! I can't_ believe _you snuck cameras into my room while I was_ sleeping!" _I bit my lip to hold in my giggles at the thought of Hotaru going so far. She would never admit it, but I knew there was something deeper behind why Hotaru went out of her way to blackmail Ruka and Ruka alone._

" _Tch. Ruka, you're too loud. I can't sleep with this noise, so just give him back the damn photo already Imai." I glanced up at Natsume's irritated tone, only to let out a peal of laughter at his frazzled expression. He reminded me a spoiled child who was woken up from a nap and ready to throw a tantrum. Natsume immediately focused a glare at me and I stopped laughing, fearing for my life just a bit._

" _Sorry, Natsume. I would stop being this loud if IMAI WOULD JUST GIVE ME THAT DAMN PHOTO!" Hotaru sneered at Ruka before dangling the photo in front of him with what looked like a fishing pole. Right as Ruka reached for it, though, the pole suddenly sprouted hands and punched him right in the face. I winced, watching as Ruka fell from his desk. He shot up in anger before roaring Hotaru's name. And...they were off, playing their game of tag once more. Leaving our group with two fewer members. Oh well, it's not like they were helping much anyway. I glanced back down at the broken mast with a sigh._

" _Polka quit wasting your time. You're never going to be able to assemble something that can float, let alone be the fastest across the pond." I glanced up in anger, noting Natsume's apathetic gaze focused on the broken mast. Damn him! We could totally win this if he would stop being a lazy jerk and actually helped! I decided to let him know as much._

" _Oh yeah? Then why don't you get off your butt and actually help me,_ genius?" _Natsume rolled his eyes at me before coolly tossing the manga back on his head and resuming his "I'm napping, don't even THINK of disturbing me or your family will be bankrupt before you leave this school" position. I grumbled under my breath before collecting information on the status of the other groups. Permy's group was almost finished with their contraption, although it didn't look like it would make it very far. Iinchou's group was the most promising; with Nonoko and Anna in his group, it made sense. Their boat looked very sturdy with a complex propeller system that appeared to be connected to….chemicals? I groaned, realizing that with a chemistry expert like Nonoko, the chemicals would probably make their boat go super fast. It even looked extraordinarily fashionable, demonstrating Anna's artistic touch. I knew I could make our boat look pretty, but that's about all I could do-math, science, engineering; they weren't really my strong suits. I'm sure Jin-Jin would agree._

 _I groaned before placing my head on the table in defeat. What was the point in trying? There was no way I'd be able to beat something like Permy's boat, forget Iinchou's!_

" _Oi, little girl. If you keep your head on the table like that then we won't have a boat to enter and will get marked down by Narumi. Not that I care about that idiot of a teacher, but Ruka's in this group too. I'm not letting his grades get hurt because of you." I pouted at Natsume, who was giving me a blank stare, his manga casually held in his hand._

" _There's no way I can get us a good grade; I don't have a single_ clue _how to build this! Who cares anyways? It's not like we can beat Iinchou's boat and win the competition, so why bother?" I responded with a defeated tone and placed my head back on the table._

" _Tch. Stop moping, it makes you look even uglier Polka." Natsume retorted, irritably. What was making him so annoyed? It's not like I was bothering him to help me or anything. Natsume suddenly poked me, and I was startled to see that he had emerged from his throne and was standing beside me. He yanked on one of my ponytails painfully and I let out a shriek of pain before standing up and glaring at him._

" _WHAT WAS THAT FOR?"_

" _Move," Natsume intoned, pointing to the desk next to me. I rose an eyebrow at him in confusion before sliding over. Maybe his seat wasn't comfortable enough or something. Or maybe he wanted to make my day worse by troubling me. Yeah, that was probably it. Natsume caught my curious stare and scoffed._

" _We've already established I'm handsome, so quit staring and help me make this stupid boat." My eyes widened in shock-Natsume was finally going to help! I immediately scrambled to grab the remaining boat pieces that weren't broken and pushed them onto the desk Natsume now occupied. Natsume let out a sigh, before turning towards me._

" _Seriously? Can't you build_ any _part of this?" I blushed in embarrassment before attempting an unperturbed tone._

" _If I could build it myself then don't you think there would be more than scattered pieces sitting in front of you?" Natsume rolled his eyes and adopted a confident smirk._

" _I'm not surprised that you'd just get in the way. So why don't you give the genius some space, otherwise your stupid genes might infect him."_

" _Oh, that's funny. I don't see a genius anywhere nearby."_

" _Tch, in that case, have fun building your "boat," Polka." I bit my lip before swallowing my pride at the vision of Howalons. Anything was worth the delectable treat, even suffering Natsume's arrogant company._

" _Wait, I take it back. So, Mr. Genius,_ please _build the boat," I managed to get out, my inner pride deflating like a souffle taken out of the oven too soon. Natsume sneered before getting to work. I stared in amazement as he assembled the pieces in a haphazard manner, as though not even concerned about what he was doing. It was hardly ten minutes later that Natsume finished the boat and my jaw dropped at how perfect it looked. Almost like a miniature ship from Pirates of the Caribbean or something. Except even better. Natsume casually handed me the ship with a self-assured smile._

" _Here's your boat, so quit simpering and sighing-it's ruining my nap. Now I know you're pretty clumsy, but you better not drop this boat."_

" _Natsume...how did you do that so fast? I mean, are you sure it will sail across the pond, let alone float?"_

" _Who do you think I am, little girl?"_

" _Natsume Hyuuga." Natsume rolled his eyes at me again and sent me a patronizing look._

" _No shit, Sherlock. Now leave me alone, I'm tired." With that, Natsume propped his legs back on the desk and situated the manga on his face once more. I sent a scowl his way for completely dismissing me and then glanced down at the boat. My scowl morphed into a grin as I realized that even though he was an idiot in every other area of life, Natsume was pretty smart. Which meant that this boat might actually win my Howalons!_

" _Alright, class. Your building time is over! Now let's go test them out on the pond. Oh, and Natsume? Don't think you can just sleep in the classroom, you're coming as well. If you don't, I'll fail your whole group for this project." Natsume slowly peeled the manga off his face before sending a frigid glare at Narumi Sensei, who sent him a smile back. Muttering curses and declarations to "kill that repugnant bastard" under his breath, Natsume smoothly got up from his seat and strolled out of the classroom. I giggled softly at the comedic display before carefully picking up the boat and heading to the pond myself. When I arrived, all the other groups were already set up. Natsume walked over to the tree by the pond and settled in the shade, apart from the rest of the class. I let out a sigh: sure he might have built the boat, but Natsume truly couldn't care less about this competition._

 _Permy's group was the first one to go and my earlier predictions about their boat came true when it traveled hardly a few inches before sinking. I bit my lip to hold in my laugh as Permy scolded Koko for his failure at making the boat. When Permy lunged at Koko, who only laughed off her lecture, Narumi Sensei had to step in and hold back the furious girl. A huge grin broke its way onto my face at the sight of a restrained Permy and I quickly turned away before the irate girl could see. After calming her down, Narumi Sensei called up a few more groups to go. There was only one boat that actually made it across the length of the pond, although the time was quite slow at ten minutes. Finally, there were just two boats left: Iinchou's and mine._

 _Iinchou presented his luxury liner before placing it on the lake. Narumi Sensei started the timer and I observed anxiously as it began to float on the lake. Nonoko walked over and poured some green liquid into a tube that was sticking out of the boat. The whole class watched, enraptured, as the tube began to bubble and fizz. The boat started moving across the lake, and it clocked in at 2 minutes 15 seconds, creating the fastest time yet. Iinchou's group let out a loud ovation, while Permy resumed her angry yelling at Koko. I gulped, worried about how our boat could possibly top that performance._

" _Alright, Mikan! You guys are the last group...although I don't really see the rest of your team. Oh well, it seems you have the boat on you, so why don't you go ahead and set it on the water." I nervously complied, unsure of what kind of system Natsume had installed to make the boat move. I could see sails on the top, but there didn't seem to be a propeller of any kind. After setting the boat on the pond's surface, I backed away warily. It wasn't sinking, so that was a good sign, right? Narumi Sensei started the timer once a small breeze blew the sails, making it inch forward just a touch. I groaned, realizing that there would never be a big enough breeze to make it go across the pond faster than Iinchou's boat, and turned away in shame when my peers whispered what a failure it was._

 _FWOOOOOSH!_

 _Some of the other students started gasping and I whirled around to see what the commotion was, only to see a huge rocket-like mechanism emerge out of the stern. My eyes widened in astonishment when it suddenly activated and a huge flame burst out. The boat flew across the lake at a ridiculous speed and the others in the class began cheering._

" _YES! COME ON! YOU CAN DO IT!" I screamed, getting caught up in the excitement of it all. I couldn't tell you where those rockets came from or how they got activated, only that it was a miracle, to say the least. The boat made it to the other side of the pond and Narumi Sensei called the time. I bit my lip in anticipation, worried that it may have been slower than Iinchou's boat. Sure, the rockets made it zoom across the water, but time was significantly lost at the beginning before the rockets materialized._

" _Well, everybody! Looks like the winner is Mikan's group, with their time of 2 minutes 10 seconds! Mikan, please come here," Narumi Sensei exclaimed. I let out a shout of joy before dashing to Narumi Sensei. He handed me a huge box which I subsequently opened. Inside lay 31 fluffy pink clouds-my Howalons!_

" _Mikan. Good for you." I looked up at Hotaru with a grin, wondering when she had arrived at the pond. I grasped one of the delectable sweets and handed it to Hotaru. She took it from me, emotionless, then turned around and stalked off. Ruka suddenly ran up, searching desperately._

" _WHERE? WHERE IS SHE? IMAIIII!" I laughed, attracting Ruka's attention. He looked at the box in my hands before sending me a congratulatory grin._

" _So, our group won? I'm surprised you were able to build a boat that beat Iinchou's group after breaking that mast."_

" _Actually...Natsume made it! Ah, here-you deserve a Howalon too!" I corrected, handing another of the fluffy pink treats to Ruka. He took it wordlessly and popped it in his mouth before giving me a sly grin._

" _Thanks, Mikan. Also, I'm surprised Natsume contributed-it must have been to thank you."_

" _Thank me?"_

" _Yeah, for your help the other day with all the account books. Although Natsume probably will never admit it." Catching sight of Hotaru, Ruka dashed off to seize her. I turned his words over in my head: did Natsume actually help me as thanks? But I just did what anybody would do for a friend in need that day, and that too because he helped me with the apple tree incident. A friend...yes that's exactly what Natsume Hyuuga was becoming. A good friend. I smiled at the thought before handing out the remaining Howalon to everyone else in the class, including Narumi Sensei. There were exactly two left in the box and I decided to go find Natsume. After all, he's the one who made the boat in the first place. I ran over to the tree he was perched under and stopped right in front of him._

" _Natsume! Here, there's two more Howalon left-one for you and one for me!" I began, before grabbing one of the final pieces and handing it to him. He rose an eyebrow at me before taking it. I took the final piece and plopped it in my mouth. The candy tasted like heaven, and I let out a satisfied hum once I finished it. Natsume watched me, amused, before eating his piece in silence. I took a seat next to him under the sanctuary of the tree._

" _Neh, Natsume. Where did those rockets come from?" Natsume paused in reading his manga and reached into his pocket. He pulled something out and tossed it at me then resumed reading. I glanced down at the object in my hand before understanding dawned on my face. It was a remote control, with a single button on it. Natsume must have pushed the button when our boat was on the water. Which means he was watching the competition the whole time! A soft smile slipped on my face as I further realized that Natsume did care about winning and Ruka's words came back to my mind._

" _Natsume….Ruka said that you helped me to thank me for the other day with the account books. Is that true?"_

" _Tch, as if Polka. Your failures were disturbing my nap, that's all. The fastest way to shut you up was to build the boat."_

" _He also said that you wouldn't admit it, guess he was right," I retorted, a cheeky grin making its way onto my face. Natsume just looked away in annoyance._

" _You know, Natsume, at first I didn't really like you 'cause I thought you were an arrogant jerk. But now...I guess I consider you one of my good friends. You're always helping me out and everything," I softly uttered. My thoughts drifted away as I considered the repercussions of what I was about to do. Deciding it didn't matter at the moment, I reached over and gave Natsume a slight hug. Before he could push me off himself, I sprang up to my feet. I could feel my cheeks heating up a bit and it confused me. Why was I blushing-all I did was hug him for Pete's sake?_

 _After clearing my throat I turned my head towards Natsume, unable to see his expression since his hair was in his face. Although...was he...blushing too? No, that's impossible._

" _Natsume. Thank you, you made me really happy today," I quietly murmured before running away. Little did I know who else witnessed our conversation and that as a result, those people would come back to cause one of the most traumatic experiences of my life._

* * *

Hash browns frying? Check. Toast in the toaster getting toasted? Check. Fruit in the blender? Check. Water in the coffee maker? Check. I let out a satisfied sigh as I finished preparing breakfast for Hotaru and myself. Usually, Hotaru was the one to wake up first and make breakfast-believe it or not the former Ice Queen could cook pretty well, though nobody's as good as Mikan-but I decided to wake up early today since she seemed tired from yesterday's events. It probably wasn't easy convincing Natsume that Mikan lost her memory: I would know, seeing how he's my best friend. I flipped the hash browns before grabbing the toast out of the oven and plating it. The smoothie was almost done and the coffee maker was ready to battle.

"Ruka." I looked up from the hash browns to see Hotaru standing by the doorway, still in her pajamas. She was rubbing her eyes, clearly still tired, and I smiled softly. There was actually a lot more to Hotaru than meets the eye and no words could describe how happy I was to be the one to discover all her facets. Take this as an example: Hotaru was actually adorable when she first woke up.

"Ruka." Actually, Hotaru is a lot like Natsume now that I think about it. Both of them are stoic in public, but when you really get to know them you see they tend to internalize their emotions. After a while, it becomes pretty easy to read them: you just have to look past their facades and defenses. It took me a while, but now just a glance at Hotaru's eyes and I know what she's feeling.

"Ruka!" When we were kids I used to really detest the Ice Queen. But now, I can't even picture life without her beside me. I chuckled, wondering just how Hotaru managed to charm me. I suppose the saying was true: opposites really do attract.

"RUKA! The hash browns!" I immediately snapped out of it at the sound of irritation in Hotaru's tone. Her second statement sunk in and I focused back on the hash browns, which were now lying charred in front of me. I gulped as Hotaru sauntered over and pushed me aside. She surveyed the damage before raising an eyebrow irately at me.

"What were you thinking so hard about that you completely ignored the hash browns as well as me? I called your name three times too many Ruka," Hotaru coldly articulated. I let out a sheepish laugh, not about to admit that I was thinking of her the whole time. I somberly scraped the remainder of the burnt potatoes into the garbage before setting the pan in the sink to soak in cleaning water. Out of the four of us, I was definitely the worst cook. No matter how many recipes Mikan tried to teach me, it always ended up like today's hash browns: torched. Ah well, I guess I'll just stick to running a company and treating animals on the side.

"Well? I asked you a question, Nogi," Hotaru icily interjected. I focused on my fiancee, realizing that she was beginning to get livid. Better put this fire out-hopefully, it wouldn't result in another failure. I upped my charm to 100% before turning to Hotaru with a smolder.

"Sorry, darling. I was just too caught up in how gorgeous you are to notice."

BAKA BAKA BAKA! I jumped, avoiding the first two shots before getting nailed by the third. _Ruka-0, Hotaru-1._ With a groan, I turned my charm down and faced Hotaru, who was calmly pouring coffee into two mugs and setting them onto the kitchen table. I should have known better than to try and charm Hotaru-she hates that kind of stuff.

"Sorry, Hotaru. I wasn't lying though: you were the one who captured my thoughts. I was thinking about how much we've changed since we were kids, that's all," I sent a sheepish grin towards Hotaru, who only rolled her eyes in response. We both sat at the table and I was buttering my toast when Hotaru's cell phone rang.

"Imai speaking. What is it?" I glanced up at Hotaru, who was narrowing her eyes. Uh oh, that couldn't be good news. I raised an eyebrow curiously at her, as though asking what was wrong. She just shook her head softly at me before coldly replying to her phone.

"I see. Make sure to put us on the first flight you get then." With that, Hotaru snapped her cell phone shut and let out an exasperated sigh.

"Who was on the line?"

"That incompetent flight representative."

"Sheila?"

"Yes, I suppose that was her name. She called to inform me that the storm conditions are still too dangerous to fly in and that the airport will remain closed for at least a few more days."

"Oh, alright."

"That's it? You do realize we'll have to postpone our engagement announcement then?" I let out a soft chuckle, realizing that Hotaru wasn't quite seeing what a blessing the storm was. Not only would it force Mikan and Natsume to stay together longer, making it more likely that the two would fall in love again, but it also allowed me some quality time with the woman I love. Even though she's normally a genius, Hotaru sure is pretty dense about this situation. I bit a piece of my toast off and washed it down with some of the fruit smoothie before acknowledging Hotaru.

"Hotaru, I'm not worried about that at all. As I told you yesterday: to hell with the press. This snowstorm is allowing me to spend a lot of time with you and for that reason, I wouldn't mind if it continued for more than just a few days. Besides, this is beneficial towards our plans of reuniting Natsume and Mikan: they'll be forced to stay in a cabin together longer. And you and I both know Natsume can be quite charming when he wants to be; I have no doubt he'll make Mikan fall in love with him again. If we're right, then by falling for him again Mikan may just regain her memories of Natsume." Hotaru took a sip of her coffee before staring at me for a few moments, clearly processing the validity of my words.

"Ya, I guess you're right. It'll be good for the two Bakas. We should probably call and let them know that our stay in Greenland has been extended. As for spending time with _you,_ I suppose I can find a way to suffer through your company." I sent a wicked grin towards Hotaru for that statement before getting up from my chair and stalking over to hers. Her eyes widened slightly at my grin before she replaced it with her blank facade and resumed drinking her coffee. Just as she was reaching for the toast I grabbed her from the chair and she let out a yelp. Whatever she was expecting, it certainly wasn't this. I shifted her bridal style before tossing her on the couch and straddling her. _Ruka-1, Hotaru-1._

"R..Ruka! DON'T YOU DARE!" It was obvious she was catching onto my plan, but it was too little too late. I grinned at her before commencing her punishment. She tried to glare at me, but eventually, laughter broke out.

"...St...Stop!"

"No can do, princess." With that, I resumed tickling her, finally breaking her as she continued laughing painfully. I overlooked her pleas to stop and trapped her hands before she could retaliate. This is another facet of Hotaru most people wouldn't know: the Ice Queen was actually extremely ticklish. When it looked like she had suffered enough for her comment, I finally let up. But not before grabbing my phone from my pocket and taking a quick picture of her laughing face. See, I had learned over the years that the best method for getting back at Hotaru's blackmail was to play her game. AKA sell her photos to her fan club back in high school. I waved my phone at her teasingly, chuckling at the expression on her face. Hotaru sent me one of her most deadly glares and I responded Natsume-style with a smirk. She then narrowed her eyes and I decided the poor girl had had enough. I gave her a soft kiss on her forehead before tucking her hair behind her ears, observing the very slight tinge of pink on her cheeks. Hotaru also hated blushing in front of other people, so it had become a bit of a game to me. The "get the Ice Queen to blush game." I finally got up from atop her before starting for the kitchen again. Let's see, in about three seconds she would probably...

BAKA BAKA BAKA! I narrowly avoided the last shot this time before sending an award-winning smile to Hotaru and escaping into the kitchen. I could hear her barely audible curses trailing behind me and my smile only augmented. _Ruka-2, Hotaru-1._ Hotaru came back into the kitchen and sent a sharp look my way before picking up the coffee. Damn, at the rate this was going, I wouldn't be sleeping on the bed with her tonight.

"Awww, come on. Don't be too mad, dear. You were the one who wanted to "suffer" in my company after all. Anyways, you'd better let Natsume and Mikan know that we're gonna be stuck here for a while longer." At the mention of our friends, Hotaru immediately grew serious and grabbed her cell phone. Right before she left the kitchen though, she turned back to me.

"You're still sleeping on the floor tonight for that stunt." _Ruka-2, Hotaru-1,000,000._

* * *

Natsume's POV

* * *

"Hey, Polka-dots. Imai just called; looks like the storm conditions aren't getting much better and the airport is going to be closed for a few more days. Guess we're stuck in this cabin for some more time," I deadpanned, watching the girl move about in the kitchen as she baked some sort of cake. She had mentioned something about a competition coming up and immediately run to the kitchen after breakfast. I went back to my room to get some more work done for the takeover of Serio Industries and it was a few hours later that Imai had called. I rose an eyebrow at the mess in the kitchen-there were bowls everywhere and flour coated the countertops. The sink was filled with vessels and Mikan stood in the middle of it all, batter smeared on her face. She whirled around from the oven and faced me, clearly shocked at the interruption.

"Oh." That's it? No screaming, bawling, laughing? I grew a bit irritated when she anyway turned back to the oven, dismissing me in the process. I headed over to her cautiously, narrowly avoiding the splotches dotting the floor, and set my hand on her shoulder. Mikan jumped before turning towards me.

"Natsume?"

"Did you even hear what I just said, Polka? We're going to be stuck in this cabin for the next few days until the storm clears."

"I heard you the first time, Natsume. Sorry if I didn't give you the reaction you wanted-I'm just a bit preoccupied with this cake! The competition is coming up, and I still have no idea what to bake for it! What kind of theme is 'reflection' anyways? It's so vague and ridiculous-they didn't even specify what kind of dessert they wanted! I could do anything: cake, cookies, brownies, flan, tarts, pies, entremets. What the hell am I supposed to choose!?" I maintained my blank expression, although truthfully I was a bit shocked at her sudden outburst. The girl seemed pretty stressed out about this project. I sighed, realizing that unless she calmed down she wasn't going to comprehend anything I said.

"Oi, Pigtailed mess," I began, smirking when she gave me an irritated look. "Just relax-you're not going to come up with any good ideas if you force yourself. Give it some time, you'll probably come up with something. Besides, you're going to destroy the kitchen if you continue like this." Mikan bit her lip before staring at the oven again, almost as though she was consulting the god-forsaken appliance for a decision.

"Yes… Yes, you're right, Natsume. Well, about the forcing yourself part. I just hope I come up with something in time. This competition is huge-if I want to be a patissier someday then I need to win it!"

"Hnn. Polka, if you're planning to play in a bakery, does that mean Youichi is going to take over Sakura Corp?"

"Yes, that's correct Natsume-and I'm going to do more than play, sheesh! But...how do you know Youichi? You say his name as though you've known him for years." I cursed myself for the slip-up before shrugging. The best way to get out of this was to play it cool.

"Seeing how you're the one I'm to be engaged to, it's only natural that I learn a bit about the rest of your family isn't it?" There, that ought to cool her suspicions.

"Oh, yeah I guess that makes sense. Ahaha, I'm the same-I totally researched you when I found out we were going to be engaged." I rose an eyebrow, seeing through her lie. Or rather, her partial lie. She might have researched me, about that I have no hesitation. But I doubt she looked into my family. I smirked knowingly at her, before giving her some information.

"My parents are obviously the head of Hyuuga Corp, which I will be inheriting. I have one little sister, Aoi, who is in her final year of high school. She wants to become a lawyer and own a flower shop part-time, as she believes flowers can make other people smile or some nonsense like that. She's a pretty happy-go-lucky squirt and looks a lot like me. Anyways, I'm sure you're dying to know more about me, Polka, but I have to get back to work." Mikan looked at me a bit guiltily, confirming my notions that she hadn't researched my family whatsoever. I sent a victorious look at her before heading towards the exit of the kitchen.

RING RING RING RING RING! We both glanced at the counter and Mikan quickly made her way over to pick up the phone. She looked at the screen before looking back at the oven then at me.

"Natsume, it's my parents. Can you please watch the cake for a bit to make sure it doesn't burn or anything? I'll be right back." Mikan left the room before I could refuse and I let out a grunt as I surveyed the dilapidated kitchen. My eyes narrowed in irritation as I remembered the conversation with Imai, and how it was Mikan's parents who decided to keep the accident a secret from me. I had a bone to pick with them, but more importantly, I had some questions that needed answering. I threw a look at the oven timer, seeing that it still had a few more minutes, before exiting the kitchen in search of Mikan. The cake would be fine, probably.

Mikan was in the living room perched on the couch, and based on her expression was having trouble fending off her probably-still-overprotective parents.

"Yeah, Mom. Natsume and I are sharing a cabin. Hotaru and Ruka are in the other cabin-we all met up at the airport by chance. There's a huge snowstorm right now, so we can't leave Greenland for a few more days because the airport is shut down."

"Yes, Dad, I'm fine. No, Natsume isn't doing anyth-Dad! Calm down! You're the ones who engaged us anyways, wouldn't so wrong if we did something like that. All married couples do tha-no, Dad. I'm still your 'pure maide'-Natsume!" Mikan cut off her speech as she finally looked up and noticed she wasn't alone. Her eyes narrowed at me in irritation. I smirked at her, recalling the ridiculous sentence she was about to finish.

"Hold on, mom. Yes, Natsume is fine. Look, just give me a second." Mikan covered the receiver with her hand before sending me a glare.

"Natsume! How long have you been here-you didn't listen to what I was saying, did you? I thought you were watching the cake-oh God! THE CAKE!" Mikan scrambled to her feet.

"Mom, Dad, I'll speak to you later. The cake's burning, I can smell it. Damn it, Natsume, this is all _your_ fault! AGH! Here, uh, Natsume you speak to my parents." Mikan tossed me the phone before running full speed into the kitchen, muttering curses and threats to kill me along the way. Perfect, this is exactly what I wanted. I glared at her cell phone for a moment before whipping out an icy tone.

"Well, well, if it isn't the Sakuras."

"Natsume," Izumi Sakura responded, hesitation lacing his tone. I narrowed my eyes, picking up on his desire to not talk to me. Regardless, it was time to get some of my questions answered.

"I'll get straight to the point. Why the _hell_ didn't you tell me that Mikan lost her memory?" I could hear Izumi and Yuka murmuring to each other through the phone and it pissed me off even more. They better not hide _any_ details from me this time. I heard Izumi give a huge sigh before he finally answered.

"Natsume, this is something that has been weighing heavily on our minds. I assume that Hotaru told you what she knows already?"

"Yes, she had the _decency_ to finally tell me what happened." The ' _unlike you'_ went unsaid, but it was clear to both sides that was the insinuation.

"You have every right to be angry at us, Natsume. But please, hear us out."

"That's exactly what I plan on, old man. Now start explaining; I'm a busy person and I don't have much time to devote to schemers like you."

"NATSUME HYUUGA! TAKE-"

"It's alright, Yuka. We deserve that much for our actions. Natsume, the day that your family was to leave, Mikan was searching for you. She ran right out of the house, and the maids let her because everyone knew how important you were to her. If we had only known what events would occur as a result, then we would have never let her leave the house."

"Get to the point, old man. I assume you're talking about the car accident?"

"Do be a bit more patient, this isn't easy for us. Yes, Mikan was hit by a car on her way to find you. Yuka and I were in a business meeting when we received the call from the hospital. Mikan was in a coma for a few months and we were worried she would never wake up. It was a joyous occasion when she did, but it quickly became bittersweet when Mikan didn't remember anything from the past year. She didn't even recognize most of her friends from Gakuen Alice; the only person she could remember was Hotaru. The doctor suggested taking her to locations around the school and to other places she had visited in the past year as this could return her memory. We took her to the kitchens on campus, the classroom-anywhere we could think of. Nothing worked until Hotaru took Mikan to a sakura tree. When she saw the tree, Mikan fainted. After waking up back in the hospital, she was able to remember everybody from Gakuen Alice. Every memory, every occasion, every person. _Except_ for you." I was silent, processing the information that was new and checking their story with Imai's. Imai failed to mention the sakura tree, however. That was the place on campus where Mikan and I spent the most time. She would often search for me, wanting to show me her latest creation or just generally bother me for something. Once she found me at the tree, we would simply sit together, talking about our dreams and hopes. Well, she talked about her dreams and hopes-I just listened, although I wouldn't be lying if I said there were numerous occasions where I tuned her out. It made sense to me why Mikan would regain her memories at the tree. What didn't make sense, however, is why she wouldn't remember me specifically.

"Did the doctor give any particular reason why she didn't remember me?"

"He said it was possible that since you had left the day she got into the accident, she was blocking you out. All any of us wanted was for Mikan to go back to normal, so even if you weren't there we thought just showing her a memento of the two of you would be enough. Especially considering how close the two of you became in that one year. Mikan had mentioned seeing a boy with crimson eyes in her dreams, so we all thought she needed a small push and would remember you. That's why Hotaru showed her a picture of the two of you together by the tree, the one taken during one of the school picnics. But...Mikan reacted completely opposite of what the doctor had hoped. She spazzed out, screaming in pain at the sight of the photo. The nurses had to restrain her before they could inject her with something to make her sleep."

"Natsume," Yuka interjected, taking the story over from Izumi. "That was one of the most terrifying things. My daughter means the world to me and to see her in such pain was unbearable. For days I couldn't get the sight out of my head; even now it haunts me when I think of it. So when the doctor said that such reactions weren't normal and were dangerous to the patient, I begged Izumi to conceal you from Mikan. The doctor thought that you were the trigger to her reactions, Natsume," Yuka broke off, tears shining through her voice. Izumi began to comfort his distraught wife.

Imai had said as much to me and I understood why the Sakura's were worried. Nevertheless, that still didn't excuse them concealing the truth from me. Did they think that I would recklessly try and force Mikan to remember? I cared more about her than most people, yet her parents didn't even try to explain the situation to me?

"Natsume, I know that what we did wasn't fair to you. You cared so much for my daughter, to the point that all of us parents thought the two of you were in love. But we didn't have any other choice. If she had reacted so violently to a photo, we were worried seeing you face to face would result in permanent damage. When we asked the doctor what we could do, he said the only way Mikan could regain her lost memories with you was by herself. If it was written in her destiny, she would regain them. The entire situation was hard on all of us. In the end, I had to rescind your letters in order to dissuade you from pursuing our daughter. Every single letter you sent, I read Natsume. Every word I recorded in a diary, hoping that one day I could show it to Mikan. I tried to ignore your calls, hoping that you would get the idea and be dissuaded yourself. However, when the calls continued, Mikan almost answered one of them. Izumi barely took the phone from her in time and that was when he told you to never contact us again. We didn't have any other choice, Natsume. Words cannot truly express how sorry we are."

"That still doesn't explain to me why you couldn't tell me the truth! Did you think I wanted to hurt Mikan? I thought she betrayed me all those years ago, when it was actually _me_ who betrayed _her_!" I exclaimed, trying to keep my voice down so Mikan wouldn't hear from the kitchen. Dammit! I had a right to know!

"...I know you had a right to know, Natsume. But we were so scared that you would try and come back, try and make her remember. Natsume, I could never bear to see my daughter suffer through an attack like the first again. That's why we forbade anybody from contacting you and telling you. We even told Kaoru and Ioran so that they-"

"My _parents_ knew about this? And they didn't _tell_ me?"

"Yes, we told them in order to try and convince you to move on Natsume. If they were blocking you from meeting Mikan, we thought we could protect her better. They wanted to tell you the truth, but we forced them to stay silent, threatening to end the partnership between our companies. Youichi even cut off all contact with Aoi so you couldn't find Mikan through him. He loved Aoi, probably still does, but we forced him to leave her for Mikan's sake. We didn't know what else to do Natsume." So that explained why Youichi ditched my sister. I ran a hand through my hair, frustrated. I know that they kept it from me for Mikan's sake. But it irked me that all this time was lost, that all this time I blamed her for something she didn't even do. I cleared my throat, angry at fate for making this situation happen in the first place. Another thought entered my mind then.

"If you were so scared to let Mikan meet me in the past, why have you engaged us now? You do realize Mikan and I would have to meet again if we were to be married, right?"

"Of course we know that! It was always our plan to engage the two of you, ever since we found out that Kaoru was having a son at the same time that I found out I was having a daughter all those years ago. It would have benefitted the companies, plus our families are close friends."

"So you figured that the events of the past wouldn't affect the engagement whatsoever, is that it?" I asked, my temper beginning to rise. Did they really think their selfish actions wouldn't have affected anything? That Mikan and I would be oh-so-dandy and get right back into things the moment we saw each other?

"Well, yes, but we-"

"Don't be so naive. Mikan doesn't even remember me and for her, I'm just another stranger. Not to mention that your selfish actions have caused _me_ a lot of trouble as well. Simply put, I don't really trust that something like this won't happen again. What if she blacks out because of me and then you cut me off again?"

"Oi, Natsume." I started, not recognizing the voice over the phone.

"Who is this?"

"You mean you don't even recognize me, Nii-san?" My eyes narrowed as I realized it was Youichi himself.

"If it isn't the bastard who broke my sister's heart." I know Youichi only did what he did for his sister. But that doesn't mean I was going to let him off easy for what he did to Aoi. Nobody makes my sister cry. _Nobody._ Youichi grunted in response, before catapulting over my attack.

"Regarding Mikan-you don't have to worry. I give you my word that my parents will not interfere in your relationship." I sneered. This brat's word meant nothing to me.

"Oh? Does your word actually mean something this time around? If I recall correctly, the last time you promised something involved my sister and that didn't end so well, did it?"

"Natsume! Stop being such an ass to You-kun! He already told me the truth about everything!" My eyes widened in shock at the sound of Aoi's voice.

"...Aoi? What the hell are you doing with Youichi? Do Mom and Dad know about this?"

"I'm not alone! Mom and Dad are here too. We all came for Hotaru and Ruka's announcement to the press and formal engagement. It was supposed to be this week, but I guess it's being postponed because you guys are all stuck in Greenland." I narrowed my eyes in annoyance. Keeping Youichi away from Aoi would be a lot harder now. Good thing I'm adept at giving death threats.

"Oi, Youichi. If you go within 15 feet of my sister, I swear to God I will-"

"Natsume! I thought I told you to stop being an ass! Besides, that will only make me suffer, seeing how You-kun and I are dating now." My mouth dropped open for a few seconds in shock. They were... _dating_ now? What the hell.

"Aoi! You're only making this harder for me, sheesh," Youichi's voice muttered, although it was still audible. I sighed, deciding to give him one more chance considering the circumstances of the past. Besides, if he was the one who could keep my sister happy, who was I to interfere?

"Fine. But Youichi, if you do a single thing to hurt my sister in any way, I promise you will face the wrath of Natsume Hyuuga. And believe me, that's something you don't want to face. Are we clear?" I heard Youichi give a slight gulp and smirked satisfactorily. Glad to see he understands a threat when he hears one.

"Crystal. Now, back to what I was saying. My parents will not be interfering in your relationship with Mikan anymore. They have given me their word." I scoffed. This brat was too naive to think his parents would keep "their word" if their daughter blacked out again.

"You can believe what he is saying, Natsume," Izumi's voice rang out. "The truth is we weren't planning to go through with the engagement between you and Mikan. Things changed when Youichi yelled at us. He pointed out how you were miserable and probably had the wrong idea about Mikan and our family. He then scolded us for using our selfish desires to protect Mikan instead of looking at her happiness. That Mikan has never had any interest in any other boy all this time, which only proves that you and Mikan were meant to be together. I guess it was a bit of a rude wake-up call. Either way, Yuka and I now realize that the only way for our daughter to be truly happy is if she regains her memories of you, Natsume. The only way that can happen is if she meets you once more. We truly believe that if she falls in love with you again, she will regain the past. It's about high time you both rekindled your love." I rolled my eyes. This was beginning to sound like the ridiculous plot of a soap opera. Nevertheless, getting Mikan back suited my desires and purposes. After all, there couldn't be another male alive who could possibly match someone as idiotic as her. A smirk lit my face at the thought of the childish, clumsy girl, only to be replaced with an image of the real thing coming out from the kitchen. Her pigtails were even more lopsided and she still had cake batter dotting her nose. I snickered at her disheveled appearance before muttering a cold goodbye and disconnecting the call. I wasn't in the mood to share today.

"Hey! Why'd you hang up? I wanted to talk to them too!"

"That's too bad."

"Ugh, you are such an insufferable jerk! Well, what did they talk to you about anyway?"

"Just stuff."

"Oh really? And what kind of stuff would that be?"

"Stuff regarding the engagement. Details on how the companies will merge and Youichi and I will run the merged business together." I wasn't really sure if that was the plan, but it seemed like a good enough excuse to keep the ditzy girl occupied. She pondered my statement for a second before staring at me. Her eyes narrowed and she sent me a glare.

"Yes, I suppose that's the only good thing about this engagement. The fact that the companies will benefit." I smirked at her, realizing that she wasn't on board with an arranged marriage. Guess I'll have to fix that now, won't I?

"You're right, although it's much worse for me. You get to marry an extremely handsome and wealthy genius while I get stuck with a loud, childish brat. It's hardly a fair deal." Mikan began fuming and I let out a self-satisfied smile. Riling her up was one of the easiest and most rewarding activities. Especially because Mikan was the worst at coming up with comebacks, although it was amusing to see her try.

"You... You're not handsome at all! In fact, you're...you're….." Mikan trailed off, obviously not prepared with a suitable retort. I rest my case.

"Enticing?"

"Exactly! Wait, no! I-"

"Glad you can admit your feelings finally, Polka," I jeered, sending my characteristic smirk her way to infuriate the girl more. It worked, as Mikan stomped her foot, disgruntled.

"UGH! I CAN'T BELIEVE MY PARENTS ARE CRUEL ENOUGH TO ENGAGE ME TO AN ASS LIKE YOU!" Mikan burst out before glaring at me and running to the safety of her room. As soon as she was gone, my smirk became a smile. Mikan Sakura may not be good at comebacks. She may also be clutzy, naive and short-tempered. But she was the only girl suitable for me. And soon she would be mine.

 _I swear, I will make you remember, Mikan._

* * *

Yeesh, this chapter was a bit tough to write. Thank goodness all the formalities are done-Natsume (and you lovely readers) finally has/have the story of what happened in the past. Well, most of it. More on that later, much later.

As for the flashback, I know it ended in a bit of a cliff-hanger but all will soon be answered! And by soon I mean chapter 8. I hope you enjoyed the rockets that Natsume attached to the boat; I tried thinking of something more reasonable but in the end decided nothing realistic could beat the chemicals Nonoko and Yuu used. Besides, rockets are just so much fun!

I'm really excited for the next few chapters-they're gonna be super Natsume x Mikan! Those scenes are always really fun to write.

Anyways, thank you for reading this chapter-sorry if it wasn't very fluffy! I would love to know what you thought about it though. Hopefully, the plot is progressing to y'all at a good pace!

~ Breezylyn


	8. Fear

Hello! Here is chapter 8! Before I continue, I would like to apologize if there were any big typos in the last chapter—I'm not really sure what happened, but I generally put all my chapters through an editing tool as a precaution before uploading. For some reason, the editor totally spazzed out on me and added/took things away without my knowledge! It made me a bit upset, but I think it should be ok now! *Fingers Crossed!*

As always, I don't own Gakuen Alice, Kitchen Princess or Yumeiro Patissiere! Especially not in this chapter, where I *ahem* used quite a few recipes from the latter two franchises. Although it was a great excuse to rewatch some Yumeiro Patissiere haha!

Finally, a huge huge huge bouquet of thanks to everybody that read, reviewed, and followed/favorited this fic! I get super super happy whenever I get an email notification pertaining to FFN to be honest! :D

I do hope you enjoy the next installment of Rekindling the Past!

 **Flashback POV: Mikan (Switches to Natsume though)**

 **Present POV: Natsume to Mikan**

 **Also: When Mikan sees the memory from her past, it's narrated from the older Mikan's POV. As though she was watching the scene play in front of her.**

(Yeesh, I sure switch views quite a bit in this chapter! Sorry…*sweatdrops*)

* * *

FEAR

* * *

 _KABOOOM! I winced, pressing my hands tighter against my ears in a meager attempt to block out the sounds. Darkness. That's all that surrounded me, the only sounds being the thunder and my whimpers. Along with the occasional laugh outside as the people responsible for trapping me enjoyed my suffering._

 _KABOOOM CRACK! I let out a shriek this time and tears coursed down my cheeks faster. I had never been scared of thunder as a child, but it was quickly soaring above my other fears to become one of my worst. I let out a choked sob as the room flashed briefly from the lightning outside and pulled my knees closer to my chest in my crouched position. The light illuminated the silhouettes of the objects cluttering the shed and I gulped. As more and more time passed, the objects began to resemble horrifying monsters and less like tools. The thought made me shudder and I tucked my head into my chest, scared out of my mind._

" _Hey, bitch, you still alive in there?" I let out a whimper, unable to respond whatsoever to my kidnappers, my tormentors, my enemies. "Bitch? I asked you a question!"_

" _Tch, let it go Rika. I'm sure she's too busy sniveling, hoping to be rescued by Natsume-Sama probably. Well, it's too bad for her that the entire school has lost electricity. Nobody's going to be searching at this rate. Especially because the boss took out the backup generators as a precaution earlier. This storm is only helping fuel the boss' plan; clearly fate wants this girl to pay for her sins too."_

" _You're right. There's no way she could have possibly escaped. Especially because the boss still has to teach the girl a lesson for getting so close to our Natsume-Sama. In fact, she's probably on her way here right now."_

 _I sniffled, trying to calm myself down. If what those two terrible people outside said was true, then that meant whoever was responsible for this was coming here to hurt me. I had to think of a way out of this room, quickly. I groaned, cursing my stupidity for falling into their trap in the first place. It was earlier in the school day that they got me. During my first class, with that old meany Jin-Jin, I was called up to the main office for some task. They didn't specify for what reason, but I left the classroom anyways. The main office was actually in one of the other buildings on the Academy's grounds, and I remember walking through the gardens to get there as that was the fastest route and it appeared a storm was on its way from the color of the sky. Halfway through I felt like someone was following me and the feeling creeped me out. I started running towards the office, but before I made it even halfway through the garden I was captured. They put a blindfold on me, led me somewhere and threw me in the room I was currently locked in. When I finally took off the blindfold, I had to force down the panic and look for a light switch. My deepest fear was being alone in the dark; thankfully fortune smiled down upon me when I was able to light the solitary bulb in the room. There were gardening tools everywhere and I figured they had thrown me into the gardener's shed. Unfortunately, the shed was located in an area hardly anybody knew about—I'd only chanced upon it myself in the past because it was near the greenhouse with fresh fruit which I often visited for baking purposes._

 _I wasn't sure how long I had been locked in the shed, but some time ago the storm finally started, bringing lightning and thunder along with it. At least I finally understood why my light had gone out: if what those girls outside were saying was true, then the whole school is under a blackout and the electricity wouldn't be coming on anytime soon._

 _KABOOM! I jumped at the loud sound, all my fears coming back to me at once. There was a small window at the top of the shed but there was no way I would be able to fit through it. I tried and failed earlier when the bulb was still working. There was absolutely nothing that I could do...nothing. A bout of fresh tears made their way through my eyes, and I wondered not for the first time who was behind all of this._

" _AH! Rika, look alive, the boss is finally here! It's time for the wench to pay, and pay she shall." I gulped and pressed closer to the shelf beside me in hopes of hiding. My breaths were still ragged as a result of my tears, and I quickly clamped a hand over my mouth in order to dampen the sound._

 _SLAM. I held my breath for a moment, shoulders knotted with tension, as footsteps entered the shed. There was a flash of lightning, and for just a moment everything behind the intruder lit up. I caught a flash of strawberry blonde hair, and it was all I could do to not gasp._

Luna? _It...can't possibly be... But the Luna from my very first day at school matched the height of this person. I suddenly recalled her parting words that day._

" _Stay away from my Natsume, or else you'll regret it." I had been worried at first, but quickly cast the threat aside when I pondered her words, realizing that I would never want to get close to a jerk like Natsume. But after we had helped each other out a few times now, staying away from Natsume was no longer possible. So then...this girl...kidnapped me for this reason?_

" _Mikan? Oh, Mikan? Where are you hiding?" I winced, verifying my suspicions when I recognized her voice. The person in front of me most definitely was Luna Koizumi. I further compressed myself into the corner when Luna turned on a flashlight and began sweeping it about the shed. The light passed over me and I remained as still as possible. A few moments later the light finally moved on and I let out a very soft sigh of relief. Only to be blinded seconds later when Luna shined the light directly into my face._

" _Well, here she is. The girl who ignored my warning and went after_ my _Natsume. Bitch, you should have feared me more. You're going to pay for your sins, Mikan." I let out a whimper as Luna stalked over to me slowly with the eyes of a predator. And I was the prey. All I could think about was trying to convince her that I didn't possess the feelings she thought I did for Natsume._

" _L...Luna," I croaked, before clearing my hoarse throat. "I think there's been a huge misunderstanding. I don't think of Natsume in the way that you think I do at all! In fact, I can hardly tolerate his company—we're just barely frien-"_

" _SHUT UP! Did you actually think there was even a chance that Natsume would want to associate with someone like you? There's no WAY Natsume would become friends with you, Mikan Sakura. Don't you dare insult my Natsume with your pathetic notions." I gulped, realizing Luna was beyond reason; nothing I said would register for her. Which meant that this situation is only going to get worse. Luna came over and stood right in front of me. I tried to back away, only to fail because I had backed myself too much into the corner earlier. Luna crouched before me with cruel eyes before fingering a lock of my hair._

" _It's a shame, really. I had been hoping we could be friends. But then, I could never befriend someone who tried to take my Natsume away from me," Luna casually said. She slapped me across my cheek then yanked my hair suddenly and I let out a whimper of pain as she dragged me out from the corner by my hair. I tried to scratch at her hands in desperation but Luna was surprisingly strong. She tossed me into the middle of the closet and I knew my fall would leave bruises. Luna kicked me in the back once before finally backing up. With a malicious grin and crazy look in her eyes, she turned to me._

" _I suppose I'll let you off with one last warning. That is, assuming you ever get out of this shed alive. Stay away from my Natsume." Luna finally left the shed, slamming the door shut behind her and I heard the distinct click of the door being locked. I slowly got up, wincing at the fresh stabs of pain Luna had induced with her violence, and crawled back to the corner I had been in._

 _KABOOOM! The thunder was the final straw and the dam on my tears I had been so carefully holding during Luna's presence broke. The thunder continued and I cried, fearing for my life, fearing the dark, fearing the thunder and most specifically fearing a girl with strawberry-blond hair and eyes that resembled ice._

I'm...Scared. Is anybody….there? Natsume….I'm scared….

* * *

Natsume's POV (Still Flashback)

* * *

" _MIKAN! MIKAN! WHERE ARE YOU, YOU STUPID POLKA-DOTTED PANTIES GIRL?" It had been far too long since the girl went to the main office, and with the sudden blackout there was no telling where she was. There's no way she could have gone home—all her stuff was still here. If it had been an emergency she would have found a way to tell us, or at the very least tell Imai. I had been troubled by Mikan's sudden summoning to the main office, especially when that irritable teacher wasn't even sure of the reason. It looked like my bad feeling was right, as the worried look on the Ice Queen's face was enough to tell me that Mikan was definitely in some kind of trouble. Imai had once told me that Mikan was scared of the dark and I refused to let that stupid girl go into the darkness. Once the blackout started, Ruka, Imai and I split up to try and find Mikan. I was to search the pathways all leading to the main office, Ruka was to search the dorms and Imai the building with our classes. Although the storm was making the task significantly more difficult, I kept searching. It had been nearly an hour and I knew that clumsy oaf must be crying somewhere._

" _MIKAAAAAAAN!" I had finally reached the gardens and was desperately searching, ignoring the angry wind and harsh rain. There was no way Mikan would be stupid enough to stay outside during this kind of weather, so I resolved to head into the main office; perhaps she had decided to stay there to avoid the storm. I began heading towards the office when suddenly Mikan's voice popped into my brain._

"Natsume! Natsume! Guess what? Did you know there's a gardener's shed in the far corner of the gardens? It's hidden pretty well, so I guess you could say it's like a secret hideout!"

She couldn't possibly...why would she head towards that old shed? But this feeling—it's too strong to ignore. I'm probably going to regret this.

 _I whirled around and dashed for the corner of the gardens. I had crossed the shed once before when I was trying to hide from that bastard Narumi. If I remember correctly, it was past the bright red flowers. I continued running before the shed finally stood right in front of me. I took a moment to collect my breath before pounding on the door._

" _MIKAN? MIKAN!? ARE YOU IN HERE?" I finally glanced down, seeing the lock on the door, and felt stupid. The shed was locked—there was no way Mikan was in here. I turned around, disappointed and frustrated, deciding to head back to the main office._

" _Natsume…." My eyes widened, and I turned back to the shed. Was that Mikan?_

" _MIKAN?! ARE YOU IN THIS SHED?"_

" _N...Natsume! Natsume, I'm here. Please…." My eyes narrowed in anger. Someone had locked her in this stupid shed, and now the once cheerful girl had produced a tone of desperation. Whoever was responsible for this would pay dearly. I glared at the lock for a few moments before seeing that I didn't have the correct tools on me to pick it. I concentrated all of my power before kicking the lock as hard as I could._

 _TING! The lock broke and plummeted to the floor and I quickly kicked the rusty door open then headed inside._

" _MIKAN? Are you in here?" There was no response, and I glared angrily. Did I just hear her voice earlier in my head? Was I really that desperate to find the girl? I scoffed in irritation before heading back for the door. That's when I heard it. A soft whimper. It was barely audible, but that one sound assured me that Mikan was definitely in this shed._

" _OI, POLKA? WHERE ARE YOU?" There was still no response and I couldn't see anything in the dark. I heard another whimper and a broom suddenly fell near the back corner. I quickly ran over there, scanning for the figure of a girl._

 _KABOOOM! I heard a shriek and suddenly lightning illuminated the room for a brief second. A brief second was all I needed though, as I saw a figure hunched against the corner._

" _Mikan…" I softly muttered before racing to her side. Her hands covered her ears and she was trembling in fear. I gritted my teeth in righteous fury, promising vengeance upon the person that put her in this state._

 _KABOOOM! Mikan let out another screech and I was quickly brought back to the shaking girl. I reached my hand out to touch her when Mikan suddenly slapped my hand away._

" _Don't...come near me. PLEASE! Please...don't...hurt…" Mikan broke down into tears and I stared at the girl in shock. What did those bastards do to her? I softly reached my hand out once more before lifting her chin up. Her eyes were glassy and they darted around everywhere in fear before finally settling on my own. They filled with shock, then relief and I let out a deep breath of relief myself._

" _N...Natsume?" Mikan hoarsely whispered._

" _I'm here. Who did this to you?" I softly replied, trying to keep the venom out of my voice so Mikan wouldn't get more scared._

" _Natsume...You...Came….You…." Mikan started crying even more and tried to wipe her tears away with her hands. My eyes softened and I uncharacteristically grabbed her, pulling her into a hug._

" _I thought nobody would find me here. Natsume...I was so scared." Mikan sobbed into my chest, grasping my shirt softly. In this condition, she wouldn't be able to go anywhere._

 _KABOOOOM! Mikan flinched and I hugged her tighter. So, the girl was scared of thunder too._

" _Polka. Quit being so scared—it makes you look ugly," I softly muttered, hoping it would quell the girl's tears. Mikan let out a strangled laugh before hugging me tighter and crying harder. Great, that plan backfired. With a sigh, I settled myself next to her and waited for the storm to pass. If I took her outside in this weather anyway, she would probably get sick or something. Especially in her already weakened state. I glanced down at her once more, wondering for the nth time who did this to her. I glared at the wall before pulling Mikan away from my chest and looking at her._

" _Polka. Who locked you in this shed? Who gave you these bruises?" I asked, fingering her swollen right cheek gently. My fingers trembled and I recognized the sheer rage pooling in my stomach. Mikan looked away softly, trying to dodge the question. But I wasn't having any of that: I gently turned her face back towards mine, staring into her eyes. Mikan's eyes softened and she finally shut them, succumbing to my will._

" _Luna." It was one solitary word, but it incurred my desire for revenge. Luna...It must have been Luna Koizumi. That was the only Luna I know at this school. Although I didn't want to dredge up the horrid memories again, I had to verify._

" _Luna Koizumi?"_

" _...Yes."_

" _Why would she do this to you, Polka? What did you do to her?"_

" _I...I...I don't know Natsume. Maybe Sakura corp did something to her family's company?" I rose an eyebrow at Mikan. It was obvious she was lying about Luna's motives, but I couldn't begin to comprehend why._

" _Polka. Don't lie to me. Why did Luna target you?" I carefully observed Mikan's face, catching the tears that dripped from her eyes._

" _Natsume...Please...I...I can't tell you." I narrowed my eyes at Mikan, watching the anxiety seep into her own hazel orbs. What did Luna say to her to make her this scared?_

" _Mikan. Please." Mikan's eyes widened in shock from hearing her name come from my lips, and I gave her a determined look. She looked away shyly, as though debating whether or not to tell me. I placed a palm on her cheek and she turned back to me with resolve in her eyes._

" _She did this...as a punishment and as a further warning."_

" _Why?"_

" _Because I got too close to you Natsume!" Mikan burst out. Shocked, I dropped my hand from her cheek. The reason that Mikan got hurt so badly was_ me _? I started to back away from Mikan, not sure how to face her. Before I could let go, however, Mikan grabbed the front of my shirt and brought me closer to her. I glanced at her face, surprised to see forlorn eyes staring back at me._

" _Natsume! Please don't leave me. I know that you're blaming yourself for this now—this is why I didn't want to tell you. But...I...Please, Natsume! I don't want to lose you! I need you! Please don't back away. Please…." Mikan pleaded, misery in her tone. This girl...even knowing how dangerous it could be...still wants me to be with her? I scoffed—it was just like her to insist upon being friends. I should stay away from Mikan, she doesn't deserve to live in a dark world and by staying with me that's exactly where she will end up. Yet I found myself unable to avoid her, just as a plant that has been living in the dark cannot move when the sun finally shines down upon it. Tch, that sounded ridiculously sappy. Ah well, I'm sure I could handle someone like Luna Koizumi. If anything, I'll just bankrupt her company if she_ ever _threatens Mikan again. Heck, if Luna so much as_ looks _at Mikan I'll make her pay._

" _Fine. But I don't want anything to do with a crybaby, so you'd better fix that or else I really will leave." Mikan gave another soft laugh before hurriedly wiping at her eyes to diffuse her tears. My eyes softened as I looked at her and before I could control myself my arms wrapped around her in a tight embrace once more._

" _Na...Natsu—"_

 _KABOOOOM!_

" _AHHH!" Mikan screamed before burying her face deeper into my chest. I could feel a bit of heat rise to my cheeks as I realized the position we were in._

 _Damn it! Why am I thinking of such stupid things? This is Mikan we're talking about, a stupid, childish, pigtailed idiot. I quickly shook my head as though shaking my thoughts away and pushed Mikan back just a little bit. She looked at me, fear in her eyes, and I could still see her trembling from the lightning and darkness. I sighed before grabbing her close again. This was no time to be embarrassed by stupid thoughts._

" _Polka. You're scared of the thunder aren't you?"_

" _Y...Yes…And the...dark..." Mikan meagerly replied. I rolled my eyes, unable to believe that I was actually about to do this. I pressed my hands tightly to her ears to block out any sound, then grabbed her and pushed her head into my chest._

" _There. Now you can't hear the thunder or see the darkness. So quit crying." I felt Mikan smile into my chest and I looked away. Once the storm clears up, we'll get the hell out of this stupid shed. Then I've got some revenge to take. Luna Koizumi, you've messed with one of the very few people that I've accepted in my life. Prepare to pay dearly._

* * *

Mmmmm something smells good. Like honey. Those were my first thoughts as I finally emerged from my room. I had woken up maybe ten minutes ago, and was on my way to brush my teeth, when an especially delicious smell caught my attention. I smirked, realizing the source was coming from the kitchen, before quickly heading into the bathroom to brush. I snuck towards the kitchen once I was done and watched from the entrance as Mikan hustled around the kitchen. She had batter on her nose as usual and appeared to be deep in thought.

"THAT'S IT! If I use a citrus extract, it should complement the Marronnier perfectly!" Mikan suddenly burst out, before dashing over to one of the cabinets and grabbing a small bottle with an orange-colored label. After removing some batter from the main vessel and putting it into a smaller bowl, Mikan enthusiastically added a few drops from the bottle into the bowl. She punched one of her arms up into the air before jumping up and down in excitement. The corners of my lips shifted upwards as I observed the slightly cute girl. Only Mikan Sakura could make me feel even remotely like this. A cunning smirk graced my face as I thought of a wonderful idea. I slowly approached the girl, who now had her back facing the kitchen's entrance and therefore me, before wrapping my arms around her waist and tugging her close. Mikan stiffened in shock and I leaned down to blow gently in her ear.

"Good morning," I growled, purposely adopting a lower tone. I suppressed a laugh as Mikan let out a soft shriek and almost dropped the bowl in her hands. She slowly turned her head, most likely to berate me for startling her. Mikan's eyes widened in shock, and her face began turning the color of a tomato. I smirked, realizing she wasn't expecting my face to be so close to hers. I pressed my nose against her hair and inhaled deeply. Mikan always smelled good, both when we were kids and even now. She usually smelled like whatever she was baking in the kitchen and today was no different. I smelled the rich aroma of honey, tantalizing and sweet, before groaning and quickly removing my face from her hair. It was getting harder and harder to control myself around the girl and I could only imagine the retribution Imai and Ruka would give me if I scared Mikan again like I did that first night. Not that I really cared—those two couldn't actually hurt me if they tried. I glanced at Mikan and smirked at the sight of her face now completely flaming. She caught my stare and turned away in a poor attempt to mask her blush.

"G...G...Good M...Morning, N..Natsume," Mikan stubbornly replied. She couldn't hide how affected she was by my closeness, though, and my smirk grew at her stuttering.

"Hnnn? Why are you stuttering, little girl? Do you need me to pay for some speech therapy? I don't think the wife of Natsume Hyuuga should be heard stuttering in public, do you?" I teased, observing as Mikan processed my words and proceeded to glare at me in response. She pushed me away angrily, before issuing out a threat.

"I'm not your wife just yet, Hyuuga. Plus, I don't plan on going out in public with an arrogant jackass like you. In fact, just for that, I think you don't deserve any waffles this fine morning. At least, it was fine till you showed up and opened your mouth." I cocked a brow at her in challenge—was she really threatening to take my breakfast away? Well, two can play at that game. If cruel retribution is what she's looking for then cruel retribution is just what she's going to get. I calmly surveyed the counter before finding the exact tool for my revenge. _Nobody_ takes food away from Natsume Hyuuga.

"Oi, Polka-Dots," I called, reaching for the object that would assist me. Just as I planned, Mikan immediately whirled around.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT, YOU PERVERT! NOW YOU'RE DEFINITELY NOT GETTING ANY WAFFL—Mmmfffgh." As soon as she turned around I shoved one of the waffles lying on the plate nearby into her mouth. Mikan pouted at me and I stared back, amused. Her pout was ruined by the half of the waffle sticking out of her mouth. Mikan removed the remainder of the waffle protruding from her mouth before quickly chewing and swallowing the piece that had broken through her lips.

"NATSUME!" I smirked at her, anticipating her outburst. Let's see, in about a few seconds she'll probably start.

"YOU JERK! WHAT IF I CHOKED OR SOMETHING?" I let out a soft chuckle before brazenly retorting.

"Don't worry, Polka. Your mouth's too big for something like that to choke you." Mikan turned red with anger, and I waited for her next big comeback. I narrowed my eyes when she suddenly deflated, all the anger gone from her within seconds. This was certainly...a new reaction. Mikan looked up at me defiantly and I warily observed her.

"How rude of me. You were just trying to be romantic and feed me some waffles, weren't you?" I rose an eyebrow at her in confusion; that definitely wasn't my intention and I'm pretty sure she knew it. What game was this girl playing now? Mikan sent me a bright smile and I quickly glanced away before it could affect me.

"Well, do allow me to return the favor." I glanced up, shocked by her sudden change in tone and met with a handful of batter. Mikan smeared it all over my cheeks and mouth before tapping me in the center of my forehead mockingly. When I turned towards her to send a glare her way, I was met with a victorious smirk. My eyes widened slightly at the sight before narrowing. This meant war. And this little girl just picked the wrong opponent. Mikan sent me a cheeky grin before resuming her breakfast activities. She glanced back at me curiously a few moments later, clearly wondering why I hadn't moved yet.

"Sorry, Natsume. But that's what you get for shoving a waffle in my mouth _while_ I was speaking. Don't be mad, k?" Mikan winked at me and I rolled my eyes at her insincere attempt at an apology. Mikan grabbed the rag on the counter and approached me with a slight look of guilt a beat later, clearly wondering if I was mad at her and whether she had crossed a boundary. She wiped the batter off my face delicately, with the touch of a person who was scared to set off a bomb. I opened my eyes after she finished wiping, my strategy for the next attack ready. Although I was still debating whether or not the Baka deserved it, seeing how she did wipe off the batter. The debate was quickly over, however, when the idiot opened her mouth.

"Still, the look on your face when I nailed you with the batter was so worth it! Dang, if only Hotaru was here—I'm sure she could have sold that photo to the magazines and made a huge profit!" A wicked grin spread slowly on my face as Mikan blabbered on and I slowly reached for the smaller bowl of batter, the one she had added the citrus extract to.

"Oi, Polka." Mikan turned to face me, a look of irritation etched on her face.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT, YOU PER—" Checkmate, the final winner is: Natsume Hyuuga.

"What was that _dear?_ You might want to close that mouth, Polka, else something flies in. Or worse, gets stuck; I've heard waffle batter is supposed to be pretty sticky," I smirked at the dumbstruck girl before casually turning around with a hand raised in goodbye. I took one last glance behind me at the speechless girl now covered in waffle batter and stuck my tongue out at her before leaving the kitchen for a shower.

"NAAAAATTTTSSSSUUUUUMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEE!"

* * *

Mikan's POV

* * *

Mille crepe. I smiled down at the old recipe, recalling the very first time I made the dessert. I was perhaps ten years old and I completely burned the individual crepes the first time, not to mention my fingers as well. Hmmmm...maybe if I added a chocolate cream to it, and used a strawberry filling? No, that was nowhere near advanced enough to score high marks in the competition.

It also doesn't really match the theme of reflection. Yes, I could make the crepe now without burning it or myself. But other than that it doesn't mean anything.

I sighed before flipping past a few more recipes that were equally as unsuitable as the mille crepe. The competition was getting closer with each passing day, yet I still couldn't think of anything to make for it. I know Natsume advised me to relax and let the idea come to me, but there wasn't enough time for that!

Speaking of Natsume...he and Ruka have been in the living room all day working.

I let out a sigh as I recalled how Ruka and Hotaru unexpectedly showed up at the cabin after breakfast. Well, during breakfast actually since Natsume and I both had to take showers before we could eat the waffles. I was surprised, albeit happy, to see them when Natsume revealed that he was the one that called them over in the first place. He said he had to work with Ruka to figure out a stronger strategy for overtaking Serio Industries. Something about how unnecessary complications have arisen because another company has suddenly decided to back up Serio Industries. Ah well, I never really understood all this taking-over-a-business and investment stuff. Though I'm sure Serio Industries would soon be acquisitioned, considering the fact that Natsume and Ruka were teaming up to take it over. When it came down to business, well, let's just say they weren't ranked on the list of worldwide top CEO's for nothing. Along with Hotaru's company, of course. Subaru Nii-chan ran the company, but Hotaru was head of the R&D branch of Imai Innovations. She was always tinkering around with some sort of new invention; it wasn't any different now. While Natsume and Ruka occupied the living room, Hotaru was at the dining table working on her latest invention, though I wasn't really too sure about the details of the invention. I knew she would show and explain it to me when she finished, so I didn't interrupt her while she was hard at work. I glanced back down at the recipe book and groaned. Everyone was busy working and I felt that I was the only one in the cabin who had made no progress in these last few hours. There were just a few more pages left in this recipe book from my childhood—if I didn't find anything in this, then it would have been a huge waste of time.

Not to mention the fact that I'm fresh out of ideas for how else to inspire myself. Ugh, I'd love to meet the person who came up with the theme of reflection, I'm sure he'd be pleased to note that he's made my life a living hell.

I stared at the page in front of me with frustration. Blueberry polka-dotted pancakes? This really was a childish recipe book; there's no way I would get any good ideas from this. I huffed before slamming the book shut, irritated when it shut for a second but immediately opened to the last page from the force I used. I threw a cursory glance at the page and stopped short at the contents. A….rainbow cake? When did I come up with this idea? I glanced at the page further, my own handwriting staring back at me. This was one of the only recipes without ingredients or steps, it was just a handful of ideas thrown together onto the page. On the side, however, there was a drawing of what the cake should have looked like. It was circular, made of multiple rings with each layer encasing the next. Each ring was a different color and it appeared that each one was to be a different flavor too. The cake really did resemble a rainbow. A rainbow. My eyes widened as a memory flashed in front of me. A kitchen of some sorts...no it was _my_ kitchen! I'd recognize those yellow walls anywhere. I could see myself baking something, with a little Youichi at the table. Along with….a girl that looked to be around the same age as Youichi and...a boy? No. It couldn't possibly be the same boy that I saw earlier. He suddenly looked up and I recognized his crimson orbs. It _was_ the same boy! The one who I fell on top of! The one that...looked like...Natsume. I could hardly breathe as I watched the memory unfold in front of me, as though I was some sort of passerby observing the entire experience. It was almost like watching a movie play right in front of me.

" _Uwaaaahhhhh! "Neh, Neh! Onee-Chan! How do you make such delicious cakes? This one is soooo good!" The little girl cried out ecstatically._

" _Oh, it just takes a little bit of practice, that's all!" I watched curiously as the mini version of me sent a grin towards the little girl who was now eating my cake. Youichi and the other boy were silently listening to the conversation and eating cake as well. From the looks of it, the cake appeared to be chocolate, with a ganache to top it off._

" _That means you can make any cake in the whole wide world, right Onee-Chan?" I continued watching, a feeling of anxiety creeping in as I realized I didn't know what my younger self would respond with._

" _Of course! Although...there is this one cake that I don't know how to make. I've had the idea for a while, but I'm not really sure how to make it." Youichi looked up at the little girl then, who stopped eating suddenly and stared at my younger self in shock._

" _WHAT? There's something you don't know how to make? What is it? What is it? What is it? Maybe I can help you for once, Onee-Chan!"_

" _Tch, can you even make a simple batch of cookies yet?" Youichi coolly asked the little girl, who immediately deflated at his words. I scowled: why did Youichi have to be so mean to that poor girl anyways?_

" _YOUICHI! Quit being mean to her right now!" I let out a slight chuckle; I guess some things just didn't change._

" _What's it to you, Polka? Youichi has a point—Buriko can't do anything in the kitchen." I gaped at the crimson-eyed boy. He even called my younger self Polka...just like...Natsume. As more and more time passed I was beginning to feel that this boy_ was _Natsume. Except that was impossible. He was appearing so much lately; if it really was Natsume then why wouldn't I have recognized him? Hmmm...maybe...Natsume has a twin brother! But then why didn't I remember his twin brother either? I peered closer at my younger self—it looked like I was around 11 years old. Which...was right around my accident! I remember that I had lost all my memories of the past year, could it be that Natsume and I...knew each other in the past? That would make sense because he seemed to know me at the airport. But why couldn't I remember him? I decided to continue watching the conversation before me; all this thinking is giving me a huge headache._

" _That doesn't mean she can't learn! Sheesh, why do you have to be so mean, you perverted fox? Anyways, here's the recipe idea I had. It's a rainbow cake! There are seven rings, together making up a shape like a bundt cake. Each ring, or layer, is a different color and a different flavor to represent the rainbow! I thought I would top it off with some icing or something to complete the look!" I let out a smile as I saw the little girl start jumping up and down in excitement!_

" _WOOOOOW! THAT SOUNDS SO AMAZING!"_

" _Actually, it sounds disgusting Buriko. Think about it—each flavor would clash with the next and it would be gross to eat," The crimson-eyed boy pointed out. I stared at the boy closer; he even had the same dialogues and vocal tones as Natsume! There's no doubt about it—this boy has to be Natsume! I groaned, realizing that even in the past he harassed me. Although he did have a point: the flavors would probably clash. It appeared that my past self agreed with Natsume as she sent him a weak smile._

" _NATSUME! QUIT BEING SO NEGATIVE! IF ONEE-CHAN WANTS TO MAKE THE CAKE THEN SHE CAN! I KNOW SHE CAN! NOBODY IS BETTER AT BAKING THAN ONEE-CHAN!" I gasped at the little girl's words. She had referred to the boy as Natsume, confirming all my doubts and at the same time creating new questions. Questions that didn't have answers. I peered closer at the little girl, noting that she had eyes equally as crimson as Natsume's. This must be his little sister he mentioned earlier, Aoi. She was certainly a very kind individual, the complete opposite of her jerk of a brother. I watched as Youichi pulled on one of her braids teasingly, while Aoi yelled at him, and rose an eyebrow. It looks like she was very close to my little brother, yet I've never even seen him communicate with her._

" _Arigato, Aoi! You're such a sweet person—I love you so much!" My eyes widened: was I really that close to this girl in the past?_

" _Awww, I love you too Onee-Chan!" I let out a giggle as both Natsume and Youichi simultaneously stuck their tongues out in disgust. If Aoi was like me then Youichi had almost the same personality as Natsume._

" _Oi, Baka. Why'd you decide to use a rainbow for this cake anyway?" Natsume asked curiously. Although if you looked at his facial expression you wouldn't know he was curious. I rolled my eyes—Natsume hasn't changed a bit._

" _Eh? Oh, that's easy Natsume—and don't call me a Baka! It's because rainbows represent so many wonderful things! A rainbow is what results when the sun comes out after the rain! A rainbow is what comes when sorrow turns into happiness! Most importantly, however, a rainbow is the bridge between the Earth and the sky. Between those watching us from Heaven and the rest of us here. I wanted to show that just as there are many different colors in a rainbow, there can be many different co-existing flavors in a cake that work together to complement each other. Just like there are so many different flavors of people!"_

" _WOW! WOW! WOW! THAT'S SO AMAZING ONEE-CHAN! ONEE-CHAN, I WANT TO BE JUST LIKE YOU WHEN I GROW UP!" I smiled softly at Aoi's words, she really was such a wonderful person. Youichi suddenly pinched Aoi's cheeks together._

" _Shut up, Hag. You're being too loud." Youichi let go of Aoi's cheeks, and she sent a glare at Youichi before beginning to cry. I sweatdropped as my younger self tried to calm Aoi down while simultaneously berating Youichi to make him apologize. Natsume watched the scene unfold before him before finishing his slice of chocolate cake and letting out a rare smile. My younger self may not have caught his words in all the noise, but I did, and his words put a smile on my face._

" _Only a Baka like her could come up with an explanation as amazing as that._

BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA BAKA! I groaned, holding my head to try and reign in the pain. I glanced around, realizing that Hotaru's Baka gun had me sprawled over the kitchen floor. I was surprised to realize Hotaru had a worried look on her face that matched the looks on Natsume's and Ruka's faces as well. When had they all come into the kitchen?

"Hotaru? Ruka? Natsume? What are all of you doing here?"

"YOU IDIOT!" I looked up, shocked to see Hotaru yelling at me. Hotaru almost never yells, especially not with such an expression.

"Hotaru? What happened? Why are you so upset? Did Natsume do something to you?" Natsume glared at me in response.

"No, Mikan. Natsume didn't do anything to Hotaru. We all came into the kitchen to check on you because you were being really quiet-"

"Speak for yourself, Ruka. I came here because I wanted some coffee," Natsume interrupted.

"Whatever, Natsume. Either way, we came to the kitchen and you were staring at the recipe book like it had possessed you or something. Hotaru called your name so many times but you didn't even acknowledge her until she shot you with the Baka gun." My eyes widened, and I looked down at the recipe book in front of me. It was still open to the page with the rainbow cake and I bit my lip before finally summoning enough courage to ask. I stared straight into Natsume's crimson orbs.

"Natsume. Did we...know each other? As kids?" It was only for a split second, but I watched Natsume's eyes widen. I glanced over at Ruka and Hotaru, who also looked a bit shocked at my question. Natsume didn't say anything for a moment before finally answering in a cold tone.

"Why do you ask that, Polka?" Their reactions were beginning to alarm me, as I realized they were evidence enough that my suspicions about knowing Natsume in the past were indeed true. I decided to play dumb, partly not wanting to scare my friends like this and partly scared myself of the truth.

"Never mind. I just was remembering how we met and how you accused me as though you knew me from the past." I let out a slight laugh, trying to slice the tension in half. "Why do all of you look so shocked?" I pretended to turn back to the recipe book, secretly watching for their reactions. A small sigh of relief escaped after the three shared a look and immediately relaxed.

"Because you're asking such stupid questions, that's why Baka. Now come on, we're all a bit hungry—make us a snack or something," Hotaru casually threw out. I let out a small giggle at Hotaru's "request" for a snack and shut the recipe book in front of me.

"Of course! I'll whip something up in a jiffy! Why don't you guys wait at the dining table, I'll be right out and we can eat together." I exited a while later with a plate of fresh shortbread cookies and four cups of dark roast coffee.

"Oi, Polka. Did you come up with a recipe for that competition you were freaking out about?" Natsume queried as I took a seat. I looked up with a slight smile, recalling the scene from my childhood that I had somehow forgotten.

"Yes, actually! I'm going to make a rainbow cake; the idea for it was in my old recipe book. There are seven rings, each representing a different color of the rainbow and with a different flavor. I think rainbows are the perfect thing to represent reflection: they're a result of the sun's light reflecting off of raindrops after all!" I paused, remembering the exact words I had said as a kid. "Plus...a rainbow is the bridge between the Earth and the sky. Between those watching us from Heaven and the rest of us here." I glanced up shyly, curious to see what the others thought of my plan. Hotaru rolled her eyes but gave me a small smile of approval, while Ruka sent me a thumbs-up and a grin. I turned to Natsume and was surprised to see his eyes wide. He looked like he had seen a ghost. Natsume stared at me for a while and I found myself getting lost in his gaze again. He narrowed his eyes before suddenly standing up.

"How do you know those words? Do you...remember?" Natsume asked bitingly. I gasped at him, a bit surprised and confused to see him this hostile because of a few words. Clearly II wasn't the only one, as Ruka stared at his best friend like he had grown another head and Hotaru narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Before I could respond, however, Natsume sat back down and ran a hand through his hair. I shrank lower into my chair, feeling a bit guilty for upsetting Natsume even though it was an accident.

"Forget it," Natsume muttered, before reaching for a cookie. I continued staring at him, confused by his reactions.

"Mikan. Who gave you a piggyback ride when you fell from the apple tree?" I stared at Hotaru, trying to understand her question. Apple tree? Why would I have climbed up high enough to fall from a tree when that was such a stupid thing to do?

"What apple tree? Hotaru, what are you talking about? Don't you think I would remember if I fell from an apple tree?" Once the words were out a sudden doubt crept into my mind. Was it possible that that was another thing I didn't remember? I suddenly felt extremely anxious at the thought of not remembering many things and it took a lot of effort to calm myself down. I didn't want to worry my friends over something I wasn't even confident I could phrase into a question properly. A silent communication seemed to pass between Ruka, Hotaru, and Natsume and I cocked an eyebrow expectedly. Ruka shrugged before going back to his coffee and I glanced away, unable to shake the feeling of deja vu. The feeling that I had forgotten something very important.

* * *

OMG! So I was listening to Yumeiro Patissiere's soundtrack on Youtube while writing this (since this chapter had some recipe stuff, I figured it would help). For a while, all the videos of the first opening theme of the show were taken down or blocked, but today they all suddenly appeared again! I think it's a sign—it's gotta be! What are the chances that they came back right as I was writing the part with the Mille Crepe?

Anyways, I think some progress was made in this chapter—Mikan's starting to realize that she's missing some memories, and strangely most of those have to do with a certain crimson-eyed male. Also, this chapter has quite a few recipes! The honey waffles are the same kind that Tennouji and her group make in the cake grand prix in Yumeiro Patissiere—honestly, those waffles looked soooooo good! Though I did add the part with the citrus extract tee hee. Then Mikan later looks through some childhood recipes and the rainbow cake plus the blueberry polka-dotted pancakes are from Kitchen Princess! Honestly, the issue with the rainbow cake and how all the flavors would clash is something I've always wondered from Kitchen Princess! Hopefully, I've come up with a decent solution to that problem though, which you'll see later on! Oh, and I guess the Mille Crepe was from Yumeiro Patissiere—little shout out to when Ichigo totally burned the crepes!

As for the flashback, I tried super hard to write it without switching POV's. Ultimately, I found that it just sounded awful in completely Mikan's POV and switched to Natsume's POV at the end. I hope that part turned out alright!

As always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please let me know if you did (or if you hated it yikes)! Arigato!

~ Breezylyn


	9. Failure

Yo! Here is chapter 9 of Rekindling the Past (finally)! Sorry if it's been awhile since the last update; my brother was here all of last week and we pretty much spent most of it playing Persona 5! I have to say, that really is one of the best video games I've ever played in my life. And I've played a lot of games…

Thank you to everybody who followed/favorited, reviewed and read the last chapter! I really appreciate the support-it makes me want to write more! Alrighty then, I'll keep this note short so you can get reading! As usual, I don't own Gakuen Alice, Yumeiro Patissiere or Kitchen Princess!

 **Flashback POV: Natsume**

 **Present POV: Natsume (the last part is Mikan though)**

* * *

FAILURE

* * *

" _NATSUME?! WHERE ARE YOU?" I scoffed before settling into the branches of the sakura tree. They really were idiots; if I wanted to be found then I wouldn't be hiding, now would I? I could hear Ruka's voice enter the mix as he also joined the search for me. A slight spark of guilt wormed its way into my heart, but I quickly set it aside realizing what would happen if I succumbed to it. Sure, my friends would be a little relieved to have found me. In return, however, I would have to go home and face my parents' wrath. I knew that if I stayed away my parents wouldn't torture Aoi too much. They were sadistic, sick people and preferred to torture her for my mistakes only if I was there to see it happen. If I stay here, in this tree, then Aoi would be safe for the time being. I had to come up with a plan quickly though, in order to appease their anger and protect my sister, before I could leave this tree's refuge._

" _NATSUME?!" I scowled, this time recognizing Polka's voice. Only she could scream in such a high-pitched tone. High-pitched enough to pierce through all my thoughts and strategies, unfortunately. I let out a soft chuckle when I realized that this situation was very similar to the incident with Luna, with our roles reversed. This time she was trying (and failing) to find me. I glared at the blossoms in front of me, remembering the torture Mikan underwent at the hands of Luna Koizumi. At least Luna was no longer a problem—Imai and I made sure of that when we both threatened to bankrupt her company if she or her people so much as_ glanced _at Mikan again. Well, I threatened to bankrupt her; Hotaru blackmailed her using the footage from the security camera in the gardener's shed. Who would have known they'd installed a camera in such a run down closet?_

" _NATSUME! WHERE ARE YOU? I KNOW THAT THE EVENT DIDN'T GO VERY WELL, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU RUN AND HIDE FROM THE PEOPLE WHO CARE FOR YOU!" I grimaced slightly, the girl's words affecting my resolve to stay in this tree. But what does she know, anyway? It's not like she has to live with the pressure of parents like mine. Her parents are very kind, always giving her freedom and most importantly loving her no matter what mistakes she may make. Mine are the opposite—cruel retribution was the price for a small mistake. Up until now, I had never committed anything more than a small mistake, so I could only imagine the horrible punishments that would result from my biggest blunder yet. I sighed looking at the branch beside me, wishing for some kind of miracle._

No, I know better than anyone else. There's no such thing as miracles. Especially not for people like me.

" _NATSUME!?" Her voice was getting louder, which meant she was getting closer. I relaxed, realizing there was no way she would find me here. Even if she did check the sakura tree, the chances of her climbing to my height were more than slim to say the least, whether she was a monkey or not. Simply put, it would take a miracle for her to find me up here. I ran a hand through my hair, focusing my thoughts back to discovering a solution for my situation. Maybe if I overtook Karino Industries, they would accept it as an apology for my disgrace earlier? No, there's no way that would work. Even if I somehow managed to buy up all their shares, it wasn't likely to impress my "parents." Not to mention the fact that overtaking Karino Industries would take more than a few days, and not revealing my whereabouts for that long would exacerbate the situation_ and _worry Aoi._

Along with Ruka and that stupid little girl too.

" _NATSUME! YOU'RE IN THIS TREE, AREN'T YOU?" I jerked up, slightly surprised that the Baka had managed to decipher my location. A smirk graced my face as I heard her mutter curses at me. Good—there's no way the girl would find me all the way up here. I closed my eyes, deciding a nap might do some good in terms of brainstorming solutions._

" _AHA! I_ knew _I'd find you up here!" I let out a sigh, concealing my shock at hearing her voice right next to me. I popped one eye open, glibly gazing at the girl as she struggled to get onto the adjacent branch._

" _Sheesh! Natsume, do you have any idea how—AHHH!"_

" _You can open your eyes, Polka." Mikan finally opened her eyes I and let out a grunt of pain at the uncomfortable position I was now in. She had slipped off the branch and I barely caught her arm in my own, lunging across the branch I was on, before she fell all the way. Honestly, this girl was building a bad track record for climbing trees. I swiftly pulled her up and plopped her on the branch next to mine, making sure she was steady before letting go of her. She took a deep breath, a single hand on her heart, and looked up at me with a sheepish grin._

" _Thank you, Natsume." I rolled my eyes, tempted to throw a scathing remark her way._

" _You're able to climb trees like a monkey, yet can't stay on them for longer than ten seconds. How disappointing." Mikan sent a glare at me._

" _If climbing a tree makes you a monkey, then what does that make you since you've been up here all day? A superior monkey?"_

" _A superior human being," I casually remarked. "Only you can qualify as a monkey. Apart from climbing trees, you have to look the part too. That's where I didn't quite make the cut, although I'm sure the monkey community would be pleased to hear you're perfect for them."_

Seriously, Natsume? What the hell are you doing, arguing about monkeys with this idiot? There's a reason you're in this tree in the first place, so quit wasting time.

 _I scoffed at my "inner voice," although it did have a point. I, quite frankly, didn't have time to deal with this little girl. I leaned back in the tree, deciding to resume my original plans of a nap. Only to be awoken by endless shaking from the girl._

" _What the hell do you want, Polka? Just leave me alone in peace," I grumbled, irritated that she didn't get the idea that I didn't want her around right now. Her presence not only distracted me from my objectives but also reminded me of my original failure in the first place._

" _What are you getting short with me for?_ I'm _the one who should be angry—you just suddenly up and disappeared and all of us have been searching for you for the past few hours Natsume!"_

" _Did I ask you to waste your time searching for me? No. Did I ask you to climb this tree? No. Did I ask for you to do anything? No. Now that that's cleared up, you can leave. I trust you know how to climb back down a tree, Polka?"_

" _Well, yes, but I—"_

" _Then off you go. Your loud voice is disrupting my peace." I relaxed back against the branch and closed my eyes once more. It was silent for a while, so I figured the girl must have climbed back down and left._

" _Natsume…" Mikan began, ignoring my grunt of disapproval at her decision to stay in the tree. "You do know that it's not your fault, right?"_

" _And exactly what are you referring to, little girl?" I asked, a warning note entering my tone. She had better not bring up the Company Fest._

" _You know exactly what I'm talking about. The Company Fest." Mikan paused at my growl of anger before brazenly continuing. "Natsume, I know you think it's your fault. But it really isn't!_ Nobody's _going to think less of you for what happened!"_

" _It's not my fault? Well, then, would you like to enlighten me on what you saw at the Fest, 'cause here's what I saw. I completely failed Hyuuga Corp! I_ fainted _during my speech, completely_ let down _the company by being taken out of the competition and woke up to find that the winner was the son of a family my parents_ detest. _You're right, Polka,_ nobody's _going to care. Including the press that the winner hired to pretty much disclose my failure to the entire public, right?" I was panting by the end of my tirade and avoided the shocked look Mikan gave me at my sudden, very vocal behavior._

Great, let's add the fact that I just lost it in front of a stupid little girl to my list of failures. What's another thing on the list of shame?

 _I let out a sharp laugh, though there was nothing remotely funny about the entire situation. It was silent for a while, and I briefly reveled in the fact that I had managed to make Mikan, of all people, speechless. Gods, I'm pathetic._

" _Is that really what you think, Natsume?" Mikan finally chimed in with a timid voice. I pinched the bridge of my nose, disgusted at the fact that I had just snapped at the one person who scaled the tree to try and help me._

" _It doesn't matter what I think, Polka. What matters is the fact that, at the end of the day, I failed."_

" _Natsume... NATSUME HYUUGA!" I sharply looked up, slightly surprised by Mikan's loud voice. "QUIT BEING SO SELFISH! IS THAT REALLY WHAT YOU THINK ALL OF US THINK ABOUT YOU? YOU...YOU...YOU IDIOT!" I stared at the girl, who was trying hard to hold in her tears._

" _Why the hell are you crying?"_

" _I...I...I'm not crying," Mikan simpered, her voice breaking a bit. I let out a sigh of frustration._

" _Yes, you are."_

" _FINE! I'm crying, ok? And it's all_ your _fault!"_

" _My fault? What did I do?"_

" _You're acting like an idiot! A selfish, sulking jerk!" I rolled my eyes._

" _Why don't you tell me how you really feel, Polka?" I asked sarcastically. This was pointless—why couldn't the girl see that? Better yet, why couldn't I just leave her alone? I sighed before reaching over and patting her on the head. I didn't meet her surprised gaze, instead staring at the sakura flowers blooming in front of me._

" _Sorry...You're not those things I called you…I mean, even if you are arrogant and a jerk you're still my friend." I glanced over finally, pleased to note that Mikan was wiping her tears away. Her friend...well, I suppose after all this time she had managed to become a close friend herself. Somehow this little girl had wormed her way into my heart, as cheesy as that sounds._

" _Natsume...None of us think that you failed, or anything like that. If we did, why would we be searching so hard for you?" Mikan asked. She waited for a response, but when she was met with silence, continued her petition. "You can't change the fact that you fainted, Natsume. It's not like you threw the competition to go eat Howalons or something like that." The corners of my lips lifted at her last statement; ditching a competition for Howalons was more Mikan's style._

" _I still fainted, didn't I? Don't even try to convince me that wasn't my fault: it's not like anybody made me faint."_

" _That's true. Actually, now that I think about it, it probably is your fault. After all, you only fainted because you didn't take care of yourself." I flinched. Even though I had already acknowledged what she accused me of much earlier, it still hurt to hear it come so bluntly. Especially from someone like Mikan, who was probably the most forgiving person to exist._

" _That's what you wanted to hear, isn't it Natsume? Well, that's such a stupid thing to believe." Mikan gave a snort before tugging on my arm to catch my attention. I set my eyes on her face, annoyed at her constant pulling, and was met with her sincere gaze._

" _Natsume, I'm not going to argue with the fact that you need to take care of yourself more. But...in a way I get it. You told me this once before, that the reason you work so hard is for Aoi. I bet this Company Fest was for Aoi too, wasn't it? You were just trying to protect her by doing a good job, right?" Mikan's gaze softened, and I blinked before tearing my own away. I only mentioned Aoi once to her, from that incident with the account books. She still...remembered that?_

" _It doesn't matter, Polka. I knew that I had to win this, so I spent hours preparing for every possible situation. Yet I still failed—in the end, I couldn't protect Aoi."_

" _That's why you ran away, isn't it? But don't you see? Running away is never a permanent solution; it's only going to make things worse. You can't change the fact that you fainted during the competition, and that as a result that other guy won, but that doesn't mean that you hide in the branches of a tree!"_

" _Don't you think I know that?" I snapped, irritated at the girl for hitting the nail on the head. "I'm only going to stay here for a little while; I'm trying to think of a solution to this entire situation. If I can somehow bring home a huge achievement, then maybe_ they _won't be so angry."_

" _Have you thought of what achievement you're going to be able to do in the next, oh what is it—four hours? 'Cause there's no way you're going to be able to stay in this tree for the whole night Natsume! You'll freeze to death!"_

" _Well, that's not necessarily—"_

" _DON'T YOU DARE FINISH THAT THOUGHT! YOU ARE NOT EVER GOING TO CONSIDER DYING AS A SOLUTION, DO YOU HEAR ME?"_

" _...That's not even what I was talking about." I let out a soft smile as Mikan visibly relaxed, relief filling her face._

" _Oh. Good. Then...what were you saying?"_

" _I was going to say that that's not necessarily my plan. All I know is that I have to come up with something before I go back home."_

" _No, you don't. Just go home and explain the truth to your parents!"_

" _They already know I fainted, Polka-Dots. After all, their entire reason for cutting their business trip short and coming back to Japan was to watch the Company Fest."_

" _Well, yeah, they probably do. I meant you should tell them why you fainted. That you barely got any sleep these past few days because you were planning for every situation imaginable to win." I looked up, my eyes slightly widened._

How did she know that I wasn't sleeping?

 _Mikan giggled, seeing the expression of curiosity on my face. "You're wondering how I knew you weren't sleeping, right? I had a bit of a suspicion because you were looking very pale these last few days and there were bags under your eyes. I've seen Hotaru with that same appearance when she forgoes sleep to work on an invention. So I asked Ruka, who also looked worried about you, and he told me Aoi told him that you were holed up in the study working for the past few nights. Regardless of how I found out, I still think that if you tell your parents you fainted because you didn't sleep due to preparing for this competition they'll understand!"_

" _Please, spare me the baseless optimism. You clearly don't know my parents very well; they don't care if or why I fainted. All they care about is the fact that Hyuuga Corp lost and that too to the son of my parents' rivals," I scoffed. Mikan just looked at the blossoms for a moment, processing my words._

" _You're right, Natsume. I_ don't _really know your parents. But either way, they're still parents! The most important thing to them should be the fact that their son fainted, not that Hyuuga Corp lost some stupid competition."_

" _That might be the way your parents think. It most certainly isn't the way mine think, though. Tell me this: if you ran away, would your parents freak out and search for you?"_

" _Well, yes, of course, but I don't really see how that relates."_

" _Simple. Did you see my parents searching for me, Polka?" Mikan frowned in response and I realized that was her way of saying no._

" _That's what I thought. The fact of the matter is, little girl, that my parents don't care for me at all. To them, I am just a tool for enhancing the business. Just as people get angry when their tool fails to work and toss it in the garbage, my parents become cruel when I fail. That's just the way reality is, Polka-Dots." I focused my wistful gaze at the sakura blossoms before me, unable to look at Mikan's reaction. Nobody knew about the way my parents treated me besides Aoi and Ruka. I guess that pathetic bastard Narumi had an idea too. I gritted my teeth in frustration at the thought of Aoi being hurt tonight when Mikan placed her hand on my arm. I glanced at her questioningly, watching carefully as she leaned towards me. Mikan wrapped her arms around me and pulled me close into a gentle hug. It was awkward to say the least, considering we were balancing on tree branches, yet I couldn't help the happiness I felt._

She's so...warm…

 _I immediately banished the foreign thought and was about to pull back when Mikan gripped me harder and spoke._

" _Natsume. Take me with you." I froze, confused by her words, and rose an eyebrow at her. What the hell was she talking about? Mikan glanced down at my face and I was shocked at the blaze of determination alight in her eyes._

" _Take me to your house. I'm sure your parents won't do anything if I come along with you. Especially because our families are close friends and business partners—they wouldn't dare to do anything horrible to you or Aoi in front of me." I scowled. Did this girl really think I was willing to use her as a shield? That was not only ridiculous and pathetic, but also a blow to my pride._

" _Please. I'm not a coward, Baka. I don't need you there to protect me or any other nonsense like that. Besides, what good are you going to do? They'll just unleash their anger when you leave." Mikan let out a sigh, unhappy with my response. She removed her arms from around me and placed them on her hips._

" _Look, Natsume. If I come along then I can convince them to calm down about this! I know that they'll listen to me; I'll explain to them that you fainted and tell them my parents sent me with you to make sure that you were taken care of or something like that. Also...I don't think you're a coward and I never will. You are an egotistical idiot, though. Are you seriously letting your pride get in the way?"_

" _I still refuse."_

" _FINE! If not for yourself, at least think about it for Aoi's sake. If I come then they won't say anything to Aoi either! Sheesh! You're such a bullheaded, daft twit!" I rolled my eyes at her "insult" before considering her words. As much as I hated to admit it, the girl had a point. My parents detested ruining their reputation in front of other people; they wouldn't dare to hurt Aoi (or me) in Mikan's presence. I let out a reserved sigh and swallowed the remainder of my pride._

" _Fine. But_ only _for Aoi's sake." Mikan sent a grin towards me before staring down at the ground and letting out a meek laugh._

" _Also...do you know how to get down from this tree?"_

* * *

"What's the matter, Polka? Scared to go inside?" I mocked amusedly, noting her hesitance in knocking on the door. We were currently standing in front of Imai and Ruka's cabin and the snow was cascading down lightly. I was hoping the storm wouldn't get worse since we decided to walk to their cabin. Walking back in a blizzard sounded god awful.

"Of course not! Why would I be scared to go inside my best friend's house?"

"Because you know we're going to be watching a scary movie tonight and somehow you strike me as the type to get nightmares."

"You don't know that! We haven't even _picked_ a movie yet, Natsume! Besides, I...I'm not scared of scary movies! Sheesh!" Mikan puffed out her cheeks and I wouldn't be lying if I found the action a bit cute. She then pounded on the door angrily and was about to knock again when the door swung open to reveal an irritated Imai.

"Are you trying to break my door Mikan?" Imai coldly asked. I snickered at how Polka-Dots was now resembling a fish with her mouth opening and closing like that.

"H-H-Hotaru! Oh! Sorry for knocking so hard," Mikan finally replied, sending a glare my way as though she was blaming me for making her friend annoyed. I scoffed before pushing past Imai and heading into the house. I wasn't too far away, though, to hear Imai's heavy sigh and her warning to Mikan.

"Next time you get angry at my idiot of a cousin, knock hard on his head instead of on my poor door. Now come on, you're letting the snow in." I smiled at the thought of Mikan trying to land a hit on me, imagining the scenario in my head. I would make her mad, she would try to punch me and proceed to trip right on top of me.

 _She's way too clumsy to land a punch on anyone, let alone me._ I smirked and walked further into the cabin to find Ruka in the living room trying to set up the DVD player to the giant TV. Mikan and Imai followed after me and I went over to help Ruka set up for the night.

"DAMMIT! How does this fit into the TV? Sheesh, Hotaru, why did you have to put so many complicated panels on this TV anyway?"

"Need some help, Ruka?" Ruka looked up from behind the TV in surprise at my voice.

"Natsume! When did you get here?"

"Just a few minutes ago. Polka and Imai are grabbing all the movie options right now, I think."

"Ah, gotcha. I really hope Mikan can persuade Hotaru to give us options that _don't_ include horror. Especially because the only two people who can sit through the horror movies Hotaru picks are herself and you. Those movies are damn scary. Disturbing too, actually." I smirked at Ruka. He was just like Polka-Dots when it came to movies: both hated horror. We used to have movie nights when the four of us were younger, with Imai always being the one to pick. It never bothered me, since she actually had pretty good taste when it came to movies, but Mikan and Ruka would be so scared by the end. Those nights were some of the most amusing and relaxing memories of my childhood.

"What's the matter, Ruka? You're not terrified of a slightly-scary horror movie, are you?" I taunted, well aware that Imai's horror movies surpassed "slightly-scary" for most people, bordering closer to the "psychotic-breakdown-due-to-fear" level. Ruka sent me a glare in response and turned back to the mess of cables in front of him. I rolled my eyes at the lack of progress with the DVD player and tapped Ruka on the shoulder, gesturing for him to give me space with my hands. He rose an eyebrow at me and shrugged before scooting over.

"I hope you can figure out this mess," Ruka began, clutching a tangle of wires in his hand, inspecting it with disgust. "'Cause if not, Hotaru's going to shoot _both_ of us. I smirked at the wires before glancing up at the panel flush with buttons.

"Not a problem."

"Maybe for you it's not! You're fast enough to dodge all of her bullets! Unfortunately, just when I think I've gotten good enough to dodge them all, Hotaru comes out with a new, faster model of the Baka gun!" I chuckled softly under my breath at the fact that Ruka completely misinterpreted what I was referring to.

"Actually, Ruka, I was referring to hooking up the DVD player. You have to unplug these wires right here and then replace them with the ones you're holding."

"Oh."

"Although you are right; Imai's stupid gun isn't any match for my skills." I unplugged the wires and looked back at Ruka, catching the end of his eye roll. He handed me the new wires, which he had successfully untangled, and I swiftly inserted them into the slots that were now free. A quick glance at the DVD player revealed our mission a success, as it was now lit up and ready to go. I got up from my crouched position on the floor by the flat screen and walked over to the couches.

 _If there's one thing my cousin's good at, it's inventing things. These couches are really comfortable._ I let out a soft smile before lounging deeper into the cushions and placing my hands behind my head. I closed my eyes, wondering when Imai and Mikan would be back with the movies. My curiosity was soon answered when I heard Polka's loud voice.

"BUT HOTARU! ALL OF THESE ARE SO SCARY! Can't we pick some other genre for a change? PLEASE?!" I smirked knowingly; I had predicted this would happen from the moment Imai and Ruka invited us over for a movie night. I heard Ruka groan and my smirk widened. Looks like nothing's really changed from when we were kids in terms of movie preferences. I waited for Imai's threat that would surely shut Mikan up.

"Mikan. Stop complaining or I'll shoot you." And there it is. Mikan immediately shut her mouth after that warning, instead grumbling under her breath. I opened my eyes and met Ruka's smirk with my own before turning towards the doorway where Imai and Polka were standing. They came inside the room and Imai turned towards us with two DVD's in her hand.

"Let's start out with a light one. Coraline." I glanced at Mikan and chuckled at the look of sheer terror on her face. Honestly, the movie wasn't that scary at all. Although I would admit the button eyes were a bit disturbing. Polka clearly disagreed, however.

"BUT HOTARU! THAT'S SUCH A—" Mikan cut off her complaint when Imai raised her Baka gun.

"Don't be such a scaredy-cat, Polka. How about we strike a deal—if you really get scared I'll let you hold my hand," I offered, immediately knowing the girl would never agree to my offer due to her pride.

"I AM NOT A SCAREDY-CAT! AND I DON'T NEED YOU TO COMFORT ME!" Polka yelled, turning around and heading to the recliner chair on the other side of the room. I swiftly grabbed her wrist and tugged the girl towards me before she had taken more than three steps. Mikan fell back with a plop on the cushions right beside me in shock. She immediately began struggling against my arm, which I used to prevent her from escaping, and glared.

"LET ME GO! I DON'T WANT TO SIT NEXT TO SOMEONE LIKE YOU!" I winced a little before masking it with a blank look. As ridiculous as it was to admit, the comment bothered me.

 _Does she really dislike me so much she won't even sit beside me?_

"Just sit down," I whispered softly, looking away from the girl and releasing my arm. Mikan immediately looked at me with faint surprise, most likely at my tone of voice, before smiling softly and settling down into the cushions.

"Fine."

"If you two idiots are done with your lover's quarrel, I'd like to start the movie now," Imai interjected. She was cuddled next to Ruka, who had his arm around her shoulders, and rested her head against his chest. I scowled at the two-foot distance between Polka and myself before looking at Imai and gesturing she start the film.

 _At least she's sitting next to me._ Imai promptly started the film and I relaxed back into the sofa. I scoffed at Mikan, who was sitting rigid and on the edge of her seat with eyes darting about frantically, before lazily reaching towards her and yanking her right next to me. She let out a slight yelp and flinched, not expecting me to pull her closer. I met her glare with a challenging smirk that only grew when she succumbed to my will and cuddled a little closer to my chest.

 _That's much better._

* * *

"Mom? What are you doin' here in the middle of the night?"

"You're just in time for supper, dear."

Mikan shrieked at the sight of the hag's button eyes and grabbed my arm. I rolled my eyes and noticed she was trembling. We were hardly 15 minutes into the movie and the girl was already scared to death. She whimpered and tucked her head into my chest. I smirked, greatly enjoying the girl's reaction to the movie more than the movie itself. Actually, the movie sucked. It was boring, to say the least, and if Mikan hadn't been here to entertain me with her ridiculous reactions I would have left. Even though she probably wasn't aware of how physically close we were, it felt right having the girl in my arms. I decided to pull her closer to me, draping an arm around her crouched figure in a half-hug. I saw Ruka send me a huge grin from the corner of my eye and felt a small smile come onto my face.

"Hello, Coraline! Wanna hear my new song?"

"NO NO NO! WHY THE HELL DOES THIS GUY HAVE BUTTONS TOO? WHERE ARE THEIR EYES!?" Mikan jumped up from the couch and I felt the loss of her warmth instantly. Imai let out a huge sigh before pausing the video and raising a brow at Mikan.

"Seriously? We've barely even started the movie and you're already this scared?"

"I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE HOTARU! THIS IS TOO SCARY!" I scoffed, irritated by the fact that she wasn't in my arms anymore. Not that I was going to admit that aloud.

"Just shut up and watch the movie, Polka. This isn't scary at all."

"YES IT IS!" I was beginning to get irritated with her loud voice.

"No, it isn't. Quit being such a baby."

"IT IS TO ME YOU JERK! I CAN'T WATCH THIS ANYMORE!" I pinched the bridge of my nose and slowly counted to ten to try and diffuse my anger. It didn't really work, but Imai saved me from bursting out.

"Mikan. If you're really that scared of this scene then go fill up the snack bowl and come back when it's done. Or when you've calmed down; whichever comes first."

"Snacks?"

"Didn't you say you were going to make snacks and bring them?" Mikan stared blankly at Imai for a few moments before widening her eyes in realization. I rose a brow at Mikan, knowing that she had made the snacks earlier. After all, I helped her pack them into containers. Both of us came to the same realization simultaneously.

"OH MY GOD! I TOTALLY FORGOT TO BRING THEM! WE—"

"Left them back at our cabin," I finished, standing up from the couch. Now that Imai had mentioned snacks I was actually kind of hungry. Judging by Ruka's loud stomach growl, I wasn't the only one. Well, the cabin was only about a ten-minute walk from here. Might as well get the snacks since this movie was boring as hell.

"Natsume, Ruka, Hotaru, why don't you guys keep watching? I'll just run back to our cabin and grab the snacks."

"I'll come with you," I quickly threw in.

"Oh, that's alright Natsume! I know you like scary movies after all. You guys continue the movie—I don't really want to watch too much of it, to be honest. I'm sure by the time I get back I won't be as scared, so it all works out!"

"I'll come anyway. You probably would get lost in the dark, little girl. Besides, I don't think you could carry all those snack containers back by yourself." I intoned. Mikan bit her lip as she glanced at the screen where Coraline was currently paused. She then shook her head at me and sent me one of her blinding grins.

"Really, Natsume! You don't have to worry! I promise I'll be back before you even know it; it's hardly ten minutes away if I run. As for the many containers, there's no need to worry. I'll take the car back from our cabin, so I can keep all the food in the back. This job really doesn't need more than one person, so you guys keep watching. I insist!" I sighed. There was no convincing someone like Mikan once she set her mind on something. Dammit, I didn't want to watch this dumb movie if she wasn't going to sit next to me.

"Look, Hyuuga. Whatever you guys decide doesn't matter to me whatsoever, but you'd better decide quickly. The storm looks like it's coming down a little harder than earlier, so quit wasting time. Whether you drive or walk, getting caught in the storm isn't a good idea. Besides, I'm hungry." Imai interrupted, gazing out the window and pointing towards the light snow visible under the porch light. She was right, it had picked up a little bit. I finally conceded, realizing that the faster Mikan got the snacks the faster she would be on the couch, _next to me,_ again. With a quick wave and a huge grin, Mikan dashed out the living room and we resumed the movie after the hearing the front door slam shut.

* * *

"She hates cats and tries to keep me out. But she can't, of course. I come and go as I please."

"The other mother hates cats?"

I narrowed my eyes at the screen before snatching the remote and pausing the DVD. Just as I thought, this part was around one hour into the movie. Which means it had been about 45 minutes since Polka left and she still wasn't back yet. Imai seemed to be on the same wavelength as I was, based on the worried gleam that broke her normally emotionless facade.

"Hey, Natsume. Why did you pause the movie?" Looks like Ruka wasn't, on the other hand. Hotaru gave him a single look after pointing at the "54:39" on the screen and Ruka immediately understood the predicament.

"You're right. If we've already watched this much of the movie then Mikan should have been back about 15 minutes ago at the latest. You don't think she...got stuck in the storm, do you?"

"No that can't be it, Ruka. She would have called us if she got stuck."

"Called? But if the storm is blocking the signal then how would she—"

"I gave her one of my signal-proof gadgets. It might not be able to carry complete conversations, but if Mikan was stuck or something I would know."

"Then what do you think happened, Imai?" I asked, worry creeping in quickly.

"How should I know, Hyuuga? It's not like I've been in this room the whole time or anything." I glared at my cousin to let her know I did not appreciate the sarcastic jibe. She only glared back, while Ruka tried to defuse the tension.

"Seriously? You guys can glare at each other later—we have bigger problems to deal with. Namely where the hell Mikan is! Hotaru, can you contact her through the device?"

 _Dammit! I should have gone with her!_ I let out a sigh, realizing this wasn't the time to glare at irritable Ice Queens. Ruka was right, Mikan was the first priority right now. Hotaru fiddled with the device now in her hands before tossing it on the couch in frustration.

"Crap! Mikan isn't responding."

"Maybe she left the device in the cabin by accident and is on her way here now, or something like that," Ruka contributed hopefully, though the anxiety that tinged his tone revealed he didn't believe his own words. I let a string of curses out before snatching my jacket and heading out of the living room.

"Natsume! Where are you—"

"Hyuuga." I turned back at Imai's tone. She tossed me some sort of device which I caught in my right hand while simultaneously shoving my boots on.

"The arrow on the screen acts like a compass that is honed in on your cabin. If you get lost just follow the direction of the arrow and you'll be on the right path again. Press the blue button at the bottom once you've found Mikan and then head back to our cabin. If you need to contact us for some reason, press the purple button. I don't know how long the signal will last, but it should be enough for you to get a quick message to us," Imai explained. I looked down at the device, noting the instructions she had just given. I noticed a fairly large red button in the center of the device and stared at it curiously.

"What's the red button for?" Imai was silent before she finally looked up, a haunted sort of expression glimmering in her eyes.

"If you can't find her…." I stared at my cousin for a few moments before sending a slight grin her way.

"It's a good thing I've never been fond of big red buttons then." I immediately held a hand up in goodbye and ran out the front door, just catching Ruka's parting "Good luck!"

It was a bit rough running to the cabin because I could barely see anything in the darkness. The snow wasn't helping either, as it was not only cold but impeding the speed at which I could run. No matter what direction I set my gaze, a blank, white backdrop met me. I glanced down at the device Imai had given me and noted that the arrow was pointing slightly to the left, indicating a curve up ahead. Based on that, the lake was probably turning a bit, and from my memory, the cabin was near a slight curve. Which meant I was nearing Mikan now.

 _That is, assuming she's even in the cabin._

I sighed, noting that there was no way I could tell if Mikan had gotten stuck somewhere along the route between the cabins. I couldn't see a damn thing; even if I used a flashlight it wouldn't be easy searching for a person in this storm. All I could do was hope and pray that Polka was safe in the cabin. I made up excuses for the girl as I dashed towards the cabin as fast I could in these weather conditions. Maybe Mikan decided to stay in our cabin so she could avoid the horror movies. No, she would have alerted us if that was the case. Maybe she lost the device on her way to the cabin and then decided to stay there after seeing the storm pick up. I groaned, realizing that while that might have been the case—Polka-Dots was super clumsy after all—it was unlikely. There's no way Mikan would lose a precious gadget given to her by Imai, especially not on accident. Nobody wants to face Imai's wrath for losing one of her precious inventions after all.

The arrow curved a little more and I increased my pace. Based on the angle, the cabin should be coming up soon. I ran a little bit further and was quickly awarded by the sight of wooden logs stacked up into a building. There it is. I immediately headed towards the front door only to be impeded by a large tree branch. I glanced up, barely making out the rest of the tree, then stared at the branch before me.

 _It must have broken off due to the weight of the snow accumulating on top of it._

There was a part of the branch that appeared to be elevated, making it slope overall. There had to be something underneath to make it raised on one side and the worst thought crept into my mind. What if Mikan….No, that was impossible. There's no way a branch would have fallen on top of her. Then again, the girl never did have a good track record with trees. I pushed at the branch using all of my weight until it finally creaked off and resonated with a huge thud as it fell flat on the ground. I peered at the object it was resting on and let out a sigh of relief. It appeared to be some sort of box. My relief was short lived as I soon realized the box, which now had a large dent in it, was the backup generator for the cabin. Imai's backup generator had turned on a while ago based on the alert Imai got on her phone, meaning the main power would have been off in both of our cabins. If the backup was broken, then there would be no heat or electricity in our cabin. Which meant it was unlikely that Mikan would still be in the cabin; the conditions weren't practical to stay in. I let out a grunt of frustration, ran a hand through my hair and ultimately decided to call Imai and Ruka. Desperate times called for purple buttons that could only be used once.

I pressed the button and rose an eyebrow at the ridiculous screeching sound that resulted. Ruka's voice proceeded to come through the receiver, although it was hard to hear, most likely due to the worsening conditions of the storm.

"Natsume! What's wrong? Did you find Mikan?"

"No, Ruka."

"Then why are you wasting this call, Hyuuga?" A feminine voice coldly queried. I glared at the receiver before proceeding to inform Ruka and Imai about the generator situation.

"I'm right next to the cabin now. There's a huge tree branch that was slanted, and I moved it in the off chance that... Never mind. Either way, I moved the branch and found out that the box holding the backup generator has been severely damaged."

"What? Why are you telling us this information, Natsume? It has nothing to do with—"

"Are you sure the generator isn't working, Hyuuga?"

"Yes, Imai. The box is completely dented. I almost didn't recognize what it was."

"Damn. This isn't good news, Hyuuga."

"Will someone please tell me what the heck a broken generator has to do with Mikan?" I sighed. Ruka clearly didn't understand the significance of this discovery.

"Ruka. It means that Polka isn't inside the cabin—it's too cold for her to possibly stay in there. Not to mention it's also completely pitch black."

"...Pitch...Black…Hotaru!"

"What, Ruka? Hyuuga's already explained that it's not working. Obviously the cabin would be dark."

"Don't you guys see? The cabin is _pitch black._ Didn't the electricity for the main power system go down about 15 minutes after Mikan left our cabin?" My eyes widened as I put together what Ruka was saying. Mikan used to be deathly afraid of the dark, after that incident with that bitch Luna when we were kids. But...was she still scared of the dark?

"Imai, is the idiot still scared of the dark?"

"...Yes, she is. Hyuuga is the car at the cabin still?" I trudged through the snow a bit more before catching the shiny metal of the car by the garage, where we had left it hours earlier.

"It's still there. Then...Mikan must be...DAMMIT!" I swiftly ran over to the front door of the cabin and found the door unlocked. All my doubts flew out the window—Mikan was definitely in the cabin.

"She's definitely here. I've got to go now." I hurriedly affirmed, pushing the door open.

"Fine. Natsume, once you find Mikan bring her back to our cabin. You guys can take the other bed for the night since your cabin doesn't have any heat. Also, Hotaru's saying that if you press the knob on the side of the communication device then it will act as a flashlight."

"Right. Thanks."

"Hyuuga. Find her." Imai suddenly cut in. I could hear the tinge of worry in her voice, which only served to hasten my search.

"I will." With that last promise, I disconnected the call and converted the device into a flashlight. A quick sweep of the living room revealed nothing and I headed into the kitchen only to come up empty-handed there as well. I ran past my bedroom towards Mikan's room and grew frustrated when the girl wasn't there either.

 _The bathroom. Maybe she's in there?_ I backtracked to the bathroom and paused in front of my room when I heard a strange sound. I neared my door and the sound grew loud enough to morph into whimpers. There. She was in there.

CRASH! I kicked the door open and anxiously surveyed the room with the light. Nothing by the dresser, nothing by the closet, nothing on the bed, nothing by the floor of the—wait! I could faintly see the outline of a person huddled by the end of my bed with their hands wrapped around their ears tightly. I focused the light on the bundle and found Mikan staring blankly at the floor, trembling and silently sobbing.

 _There. There she is. There's Mikan._

"Mikan. MIKAN!" I yelled desperately, fearing the frozen look on her face. This wasn't how she was supposed to look. Polka-Dots was supposed to be the perpetually caring, annoyingly optimistic, clumsy Baka. Not this scared little girl rocking on the floor in fear. She looked up at the sound of my voice blankly. She stared for a few moments at me and something seemed to register in her amber orbs. Something akin to relief.

"N...N...Natsu...me—" Mikan whispered brokenly before closing her eyes. She started falling towards the ground and I dropped Imai's gadget in my haste to reach the girl before she hit the floor. I barely caught the unconscious girl and crouched on the floor with her secured in my arms. She was still trembling and I could see tears leaking out the corners of her eyelids. There were streaks going down her face and I fleetingly wondered how long she had been crying in the cabin, alone. This was all my fault; I knew I shouldn't have let her go by herself. I adjusted the girl in my arms, wiping the stray tears off her cheeks softly. I tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and placed my lips on her forehead gently.

"N...Natsume?" Mikan murmured curiously, finally awake. I gazed into her tired eyes and sent her a small smile before grabbing her close and wrapping my arms around her. She was still trembling, although she was rigid in my embrace.

"I'm here."

"Natsume!" Mikan finally broke down into tears and clutched at my shirt fiercely. All of her fear swept over me and I berated myself for once again leaving her alone in this vulnerable state. "Natsume! The power-hic-went out so-hic-suddenly and I-hic-was so sc-hic-ared and I-hic-didn't know if you-hic-would find me and I-hic…" Mikan trailed off, trying to suppress her hiccups. I held her tighter and stroked her back lightly.

"I will _always_ find you. No matter what darkness comes your way. I promise." Mikan continued crying in my arms after my promise and it was all I could do to comfort the girl. I wasn't sure how much time had passed, but she gradually fell asleep. I placed another kiss on her forehead before hoisting her up into my arms, bridal style. Even though I always teased her about her weight, she was actually quite light. I headed out the bedroom door towards the cabin's exit. It was high time we went back to Ruka's cabin.

* * *

Where...am I? Goosebumps prickled down my arms as I whirled around and was met with darkness at every angle. Wherever I was, I sure didn't like it. I walked aimlessly in one direction, hoping there would be some sort of light or a way out of this pitch black scene. I rubbed my hands up and down my arms in an attempt to make the goosebumps flee and immediately stopped the action when I heard what sounded like a whimper. I glanced in the direction of the sound and was met with a figure, huddled and shaking next to what looked like...a rake? She appeared to be whispering something and I cautiously approached the little girl to hear her words.

"...cared...Natsume..I'm scared...Natsume…" Natsume? Why would this little girl know who Natsume is? Better yet who was this little girl? I kneeled before the girl and slowly moved a hand towards her. It went directly through and I leaped back with a gasp of shock. I tried to touch her again, only to watch as my arm slid through the image of the girl. I held my shaking palm up in fear when the girl suddenly looked up. She stared at me, rather right through me, almost like I wasn't there at all. It was unsettling.

"Luna...Luna...she...she's going to…" The little girl hoarsely whispered, a fresh bout of tears sprouting from her amber eyes. I watched the girl in shock as recognition dawned. Those eyes...I had seen them plenty of times before...they mirrored the exact pair on my face.

 _Then...This girl...is me? Is this another flashback? Another memory that I…_

My thoughts were quickly broken by the sound of a door splintering as it met the wall with a large force. Both the little girl and I faced the door and my mouth dropped open at the sight of the boy with crimson eyes. He was here...again. He was here in my vision again! He was panting hard and frantically darting his eyes about, searching for something.

"Natsume!" I glanced down at my younger self before me with a grim look. Then it really was Natsume...why was I suddenly watching so many visions, or memories, or whatever they were lately? All of them involving Natsume too? I placed my hands around my ears to try and block out the memory along with the searing headache cropping up.

"Mikan. MIKAN!" My head shot up at the voice. It didn't sound like a little boy's voice... it sounded exactly like the adult Natsume that I had come to know. I fixed my gaze on the door in shock. The little boy was no longer there and neither was the girl next to me. The only one there was Natsume, the Natsume that tortured me then befriended me. The Natsume that was beginning to mean a bit more than I hoped. He sent me a soft smile and my breath froze at the sight. Why must he affect me like this?

"I will _always_ find you. No matter what darkness comes your way. I promise." I gasped in shock at the sweet words, at the gentle expression in his eyes. Was this the real Natsume? Somehow...I found...that he didn't scare me anymore. No. Natsume had never scared me, not even the first time I met him. Not really, at least. For some reason, he was always there. Always there to protect me, to save me. Maybe that was why I nodded and walked toward the Natsume before me, holding his hands out. Maybe that's why I felt so warm just from being near him. Why I was starting to care for him more than I thought possible. I smiled and finally opened my eyes, grabbing the warm object beside me and pulling it closer. I snuggled into it and heard the resounding thud of a heart.

 _A...heart beat?_ The thought immediately snapped me out of my dream and I whipped my eyelids open. The sight that met me was blurry for a few moments but it finally settled down to reveal Natsume right beside me with his eyes closed and his breathing relaxed.

 _Natsume?!_

* * *

And...it's done! Phew! Once again Mikan finds a situation from her past coming back for a repeat! Looks like Luna's scarred her for life...although Mikan's fear of the dark isn't the only wonderful present from Luna! *Winks.* Also, this is a total side note, but I really hate Coraline. I had to watch a few of the scenes from the movie to get the lines right, and the whole time I was almost as scared as Mikan ahahah… *sweatdrops.*

Anyways, the next chapter is going to be pretty fluffy (hopefully)! After that, though, the plot should be picking up for sure. There are still a few things about Mikan's accident that need to be revealed, after all. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Do let me know what you thought about it, please!

~ Breezylyn


	10. Freedom

I AM SO SO SO SO SORRY! I DON'T HAVE ANY EXCUSES, I KNOW! Sigh...I had hoped to finish this whole fic before September so that I wouldn't become one of those authors that doesn't update in time and drives everybody crazy. Clearly, that didn't quite happen….(laughs sheepishly).

Although now that I'm done with my first ever term of college, I'm on winter break! One new chapter, coming right up, and hopefully another one or two before second terms starts! I think this one has a bit more fluff, but you guys tell me if you agree or not!

As always, I don't own Gakuen Alice, Kitchen Princess or Yumeiro Patissiere!

And finally, thank you to everybody who continued to monitor this story, favorite/follow it, review it or just even take the time to read the title! It's been so encouraging having notifications sent saying that people are still reading this, and to be perfectly honest, that's why I finally managed to write (and finish) this chapter! It makes me so happy knowing that people actually like my writing hahaha…..

Alright, I'll shut up now! Without further ado, I present to you chapter 10 of Rekindling the Past!

 **Flashback POV: Natsume**

 **Present POV: Mikan**

* * *

FREEDOM

* * *

" _You should just leave." I glared at the girl behind me impatiently, trying to scare her into leaving. I didn't think she was serious when she said she'd come with me back home, and I agreed back in the tree to get her out of my way. Unfortunately, my plan backfired, just like everything else today._

" _OH MY DEAR ZESTY CUPCAKES! For the last time, Natsume, I'm_ not _leaving! I promised that I would come with you to face your parents and I'm planning to do just that." I rose an eyebrow at the flustered girl before me who was now glaring. Zesty cupcakes? What the hell? Even when she's mad she thinks about food. I shook my head at the thought and focused back on the issue at hand. Namely getting the girl to leave._

" _Look, Polka. There's no point in you coming. In fact, if you think that you can do anything to "fix" the relationship between my parents and me, you're going to leave sorely disappointed." Polka was starting to get extremely annoying. She's the kind of girl that tries to fix everyone's problems, but this was something she couldn't fix. And she just wasn't getting the hint._

" _I'm not trying to fix the relationship you have with your parents!"_

" _..."_

" _I'm not!"_

" _..."_

" _OK FINE! Maybe I am trying to help you get closer to your parents, but what's wrong with that? I truly think if you just talk to them about how you're feeling everything would be better, Natsume!"_

" _Correct me if I'm wrong, but the reason you're actually coming is to force me to talk to my parents? About my_ feelings? _Oh yeah, that'll go over perfectly well! I don't know why I never thought of that idea." I sneered sarcastically in response._

 _Honestly, what does she expect me to say? 'Hey mom, dad, I hate you because you always make Aoi cry unless I do your every bidding like a good, obedient slave.' The response would probably be more of Aoi's tears and more work to burden. On top of that, a long-ass lecture about how I wouldn't be anywhere without their help and guidance._

Sounds like fun. NOT.

" _Yup! Seriously though, I mean, they're still your parents! I just_ know _that if you speak to them about how you feel from the bottom of your heart, about how they're not being fair to you and Aoi, then they've just gotta listen!"_

" _Talk to them?"_

" _Yup."_

" _About how they're not being fair?"_

" _Mhmm."_

"From the bottom of my heart?"

" _Exactly right! Now can we go in?" You've gotta be kidding; does she really think I'm willing to do something as stupid as that? I rolled my eyes before turning and facing the girl head on, painting a slight glare on my face._

" _Here's what's going to happen. I'm going to open this door and go inside. And you're going to go back to your own house and open your own door and go inside. Cool, now that that's settled, why don't you just head on your way. Hell, I'll even walk you ther—"_

" _I AM COMING IN WITH YOU NATSUME HYUUGA! EVEN IF I HAVE TO BREAK DOWN THIS FRONT DOOR, OR CRAWL IN THROUGH AN OPEN WINDOW!" I pinched the bridge of my nose in irritation, observing as the pushy girl before me watched me with a defiant look in her eyes. I sighed, knowing that once Mikan Sakura set her mind this firmly on something, it wasn't going to change. It was a waste of time arguing with her outside; since my parents were already going to be furious for involving an outsider in our matters, there was no point in delaying any further. I turned back to the front door and inserted my key into the lock before pushing the door open slightly._

" _Oi, Polka. If you're really that keen to meet the people that own this household, then hurry up. I'm not going to keep the door open all day," I threw over my shoulder and crossed the threshold into hell. A quick glance behind me revealed Polka jumping in glee before quickly heading towards the door. I smiled a bit, but it was quickly wiped off when I heard angry voices. I pushed Polka back through the door outside and signaled her to wait there. She must have sensed the tension quickly escalating within me since she didn't put up a fight this time. That or she heard the angry voices herself. I nodded at the girl and walked into the dining area nearby, stopping right at the border of the room in order to process the situation._

" _AOI HYUUGA! What are you wearing? And your hair! Go fix your appearance right now, young lady." I stared at Aoi and sighed. Much to my mother's chagrin, Aoi hated wearing the frilly, "lady-like" dresses that inhabited her closet, opting for casual shorts and T-shirts instead._

" _But Mom! What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"_

" _Call me mother, Aoi, not 'mom.' It doesn't look refined, dear. Actually, your outfit resembles men's' clothing, and while that does seem to be a trend nowadays it's not acceptable in this household."_

" _Mom, why does it—"_

" _Mother."_

"— _Mother, why does it matter? There is nobody home right now except for you and father, so why do I have to wear one of the disgusting dresses?"_

" _Why, you're a young lady! What kind of question is that?"_

" _Mother, I don't want to—"_

" _YOU UNGRATEFUL CHILD! I SPENT ALL THAT MONEY BUYING YOU SOME NICE CLOTHES SO YOU WOULDN'T LOOK LIKE SOMETHING THAT CRAWLED OFF THE STREETS! AND HOW DO YOU REPAY ME? BY ABANDONING YOUR MANNERS AND TALKING BACK? YOU_ WILL _GO AND CHANGE RIGHT NOW, DO YOU UNDERSTAND AOI HYUUGA!?" I frowned at the scared look that overcame my sister's face._

" _Y...Yes mother," Aoi meekly replied, turning around and scurrying up to her room. I swept my glance across the room, noting the scowl etched on my father's face as he furiously typed away at his computer. He was sitting in one of the uncomfortable wooden chairs and grabbed his phone, no doubt to yell at and fire some incompetent employee. My mother let out a sigh of frustration and pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly a habit that was passed onto me. Aoi bounded down the stairs in a new outfit and I internally cringed. It had a tulle skirt made of paper-like lace, with a completely jeweled bodice. I felt bad for Aoi, especially considering this was one of the mildest dresses in my sister's closet. It was just like my parents to force their stupid customs and desires onto their children, all the way down to who we hung out with, how we talked and even what clothes we wore. My mother surveyed Aoi, who plopped onto the couch in a very unladylike fashion, with disdain and I decided to make my entrance before my sister got scolded again. I stepped into the dining area slowly, hoping to make my entrance casual. The entire effort blew up in my face when both my mother and father simultaneously noticed me and I winced, expecting the cruel tirade and lecture on my failure as a Hyuuga. One, two three… seconds passed and after a couple of minutes I looked up in confusion. Where were the angry threats, the unjust words? To my surprise, my father completely ignored me and turned back to his work. My mother met my confused gaze with a sneer and turned her face. She turned back to Aoi and I felt a frown come on to my face. Aoi wasn't even looking at me, finding the floor more interesting, and it was obvious that she had noticed me enter the room. What poison had my parents spewed to my sister that would garner such a reaction? I headed over to the couch and decided to sit next to Aoi. I turned towards my sister and my frown grew when she got up in response and sat in the recliner across the room. She met my disappointed gaze for a moment and immediately turned back to the floor._

 _Is that really all I mean to her? I immediately dismissed the thought, realizing by the smug grin on my mother's face and the nonchalant tone of challenge in my father's eyes that they had somehow forced my sister to become this stranger before me._

 _I immediately glared at my father. He stopped working and met my glare head-on with one of his own._

" _Why are you in this house?" My father acerbically questioned._

" _I happen to live here." I brazenly retorted, throwing all caution to the wind. These were the people who turned the only family member I cared for against me. There was no point reigning in my anger this time, as it simply wasn't possible to reign it in. My fury grew tenfold when Aoi looked up meekly at my father's tone and glanced back at me before returning to the oh-so-interesting tiles adorning our floor._

" _I'm afraid not. You see, this house is for members of the prestigious Hyuuga family."_

" _Right, and that's why I live here."_

" _You've lost all rights to the surname Hyuuga today. My wife has packed your bags, they're by the table." I glared fiercely at my father, attempting to comprehend the situation. I knew that my parents were going to be jerks about the results of the Company Fest, but I didn't think they'd go so far as to disown me and kick me out of the house._

This is flippin' ridiculous!

 _I turned towards my mother, who gazed at me coldly. She pursed her lips and ran her gaze over my disheveled appearance before turning so her back faced me._

" _I can't be the mother of a son who purposefully loses a competition. That too, to our greatest rivals. You knew how important this was Natsume, yet you still lost. Did it please you, embarrassing our family like that? And now you have the gall to come back late, looking like you crawled out of a tree or something. Disgraceful." Is that what they think? That I threw the competition intentionally?_

" _What are you both talking about? It's not like I threw the competition intentionally! I didn't sleep for many of the nights before in order to prepare for it, and as a result, fainted during the Fest! It's not my fault!" My father slammed his laptop screen down and angrily stood up._

" _YOU DISGUSTING LIAR! GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE RIGHT NOW, YOU CHEAT! WE KNOW YOU THREW THIS COMPETITION TO GET BACK AT US FOR NOT GOING TO AOI'S PICNIC!" My fury boiled further at this new revelation. I sent a sharp look at my sister who shrunk further into the couch. Why didn't she tell me our parents bailed? They promised they would go if I finished all those blasted account books!_

" _I'm the cheat? You're the ones who promised you would go if I finished all the account books, which I did! We had a deal, father! Besides, I didn't throw this competition! IF I was going to throw it, why would I waste my precious sleep time preparing for it?" I forced out through gritted teeth, attempting to reign in the volcano that was on the hinge of exploding. Some part of my rationale was still functioning, and I realized that exploding would only exacerbate the situation. It's a shame my father didn't share that viewpoint._

" _HOW DARE YOU TALK BACK TO ME! YOU BASTARD!" I warily took a step back when my father briskly walked towards me. He grabbed my collar and dragged me close. I flinched at the rage in his eyes and closed my own, bracing myself for the blow that was seconds from coming._

" _FATHER STOP! PLEASE!" My eyes whipped open towards my sister. Aoi had her hands clenched tight towards her chest and had a determined look in her eyes. I could still see her fear palpitate through her trembling legs and I felt a surge of happiness at the fact that my sister was back to normal. My father let go of my collar and began stalking towards Aoi. I grabbed his shirt, determined not to let the vile man near her._

" _Aoi Hyuuga! Apologize this instant and go to your room! We will discuss your punishment for talking back after this failure is out of the house," My mother smoothly interjected holding a hand up towards my father as a warning. He heeded her and stopped moving towards Aoi._

" _I will do no such thing. I'm sick and tired of you always telling me what to do. Sick and tired of these disgusting dresses, being told exactly what to say and do to the point that I can't even make any friends. Sick and tired of this stupid family and this stupid house!" Aoi burst out, tears spiraling down her eyes. All three of us stared in shock, for this was the first time she had ever yelled back at either of my parents. I threw my gaze at my mother and furrowed my brows as the look of shock on her face was quickly being replaced with one of rage._

" _HOW DARE YOU? IF YOU REALLY LOVE THIS FAILURE SO MUCH, THEN YOU CAN LEAVE WITH HIM!" My mother stormed upstairs and returned a couple minutes later, shoving some of Aoi's things into a shoddy duffle bag and throwing it on the floor before her feet. I glanced at Aoi and noted her devastated expression._

" _Mother, I…" Aoi began quietly._

" _It's alright, Aoi. Don't worry about me." I whispered softly, knowing she would hear me._

" _Exactly what he said, Aoi. Even he doesn't want you to care about him. Do you know why? Because he doesn't care about_ you _at all. Do you really want to leave the house and your parents for somebody like that?" My father crooned, slyly turning my words against me. Anger boiled inside of me, but I suppressed it, knowing that I might be able to survive on the streets but there was no way Aoi could. Aoi looked at me with tears in her eyes and I felt a pang at the heartbroken look in her eyes. Neither she nor I knew what to do, but as the older brother, it was my job to protect Aoi._

And that's exactly what I plan to do. _I gave my sister a reassuring smile and scooped up the bags my mother had packed. Maybe if I just left it would be easier for my sister. She wouldn't have to choose between me and our parents, for one thing._

" _Anii! Wait! Please...Please don't leave me." I stopped, surprised at my sister's plea. She walked over and grabbed the hem of my shirt._

" _So, Aoi. If that's how it's going to be, then you can get out of this house as well. I want both of you to be out of my sight within the next minute."_

" _But father, I—"_

" _You chose this, Aoi. Instead of choosing the people that have cared for you since before you were even born, you chose that pathetic boy. You have now betrayed this family, and there is no place for you here anymore. Now leave, let's see how long you survive depending on that worthless failure."_

" _NATSUME IS NOT WORTHLESS! NOR IS HE A FAILURE!" My eyes widened in shock at the sound of a familiar, screechy voice._

SHIT! I totally forgot Polka-dots followed me home. _I turned towards the voice and observed the brunette before me, standing in an angry posture with clenched fists. Her brows were furrowed and she looked like she was trying not to cry._

" _Sakura-chan?" My mother questioned, confused at the sudden appearance of the girl. She quickly suspected that I was responsible for Mikan being here, however, and sent me a dirty look. Way past the point of caring, I rolled my eyes in response to piss my mother off further and smirked when her glare grew deeper._

" _Oh! I'm so sorry for barging in like that! Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Hyuuga." My mother's glare immediately morphed into a megawatt smile directed at Polka. The one thing my mother appreciated above anything else was good manners, more specifically good manners from the child of a high-class family._

" _Oh, no, you are always welcome in this house, my dear. How can we help you? Would you like to stay for dinner?"_

" _Urr, no, Mrs. Hyuuga. I've already eaten, although I do appreciate the offer. I came here to make sure that Natsume was fine after what happened at the Company Fest this morning," Polka fibbed, hiding the fact that she came with me. Although I'd never admit it, I was definitely feeling very grateful that Pigtails had the sense to not reveal she had come back with me and therefore overheard the entirety of the previous conversation. Especially after noting the film of irritation that blinked over my parents' face at the mention of my name and the Company Fest._

" _Oh. Well. As you can see, he's absolutely fine. Well then, dear, if there's nothing else you need, would you excuse us? We have some family business to take care of. Do give your mother a very warm hug from me! TANAKA-SAN! Please show our guest out." My mother cleanly dismissed, heading towards the edge of the living room as a clear indication to Mikan to leave. Mikan narrowed her eyes in response and walked over to me instead._

" _I do apologize, Mrs. Hyuuga, but I'd like to verify that Natsume is alright myself first." Mikan turned towards me and gave me a strange look. It was clear she was trying to tell me something, but I couldn't decipher her stupid look._

" _So, Natsume. How are you feeling? If you need a friend, you're always welcome to come back to my place with me." Polka drawled slowly. I glanced around and saw my mother giving me a warning look. Looking back towards Polka, it was obvious that she had seen my mother's warning as well. The brunette shook her head slightly at me, and then it clicked what her plan was. I smirked slightly at her and she sent me a grin back._

" _Actually, Polka, I'm not feeling so great. You see, my parents are trying to kick me out of the house because of what happened at the Fest." Polka raised an eyebrow at me before rolling her eyes slightly and my smirk widened. I glanced to the side and celebrated the twin looks of shock adorning my parents' faces. Even Aoi looked surprised at my response. What she didn't know was that this ploy was specifically for her sake._

" _Is that so, Natsume? Why, that's such a terrible thing for parents to even think of doing to their kids!" I scoffed at the girl's poor acting, ignoring the slight glare she sent in response._

" _It is, isn't it Polka? What's even worse, they want to kick my sister out too. Poor, innocent, sweet little Aoi who hasn't even done anything wrong." I glanced at my parents and my smirk grew. From their clenched teeth, it was clear they were pissed. Just a little bit more of a push now…_

" _Oh my! That's just awful! I'm sure_ my parents _wouldn't be happy to hear that their_ business partners _are treating their kids so terribly! Especially when they haven't even done anything wrong. How disgraceful." Oh, that was the best word she could have possibly used. "Disgraceful," my mother's most hated word._

"DISGRACEFUL? _YOUNG LADY, MAY I REMIND YOU THAT YOU ARE A GUEST HERE? HOW DARE YOU INSULT US IN OUR OWN HOUSE?"_

" _Insult? Oh, no, I think you've completely misunderstood me Mrs. Hyuuga! I wouldn't dream of insulting you, ma'am."_

" _Don't think I can't detect your sarcasm, young lady. Don't you dare talk to my wife in that manner. Haven't your parents taught you to respect elders?"_

" _Mr. Hyuuga, my parents have taught me plenty of manners. But they've also taught me there are more important things than manners. Things like family, love, friendship. Things that clearly your parents didn't take the time to teach you." My eyes widened at Mikan's sharp words. I had never heard her use such a crisp tone before, and I wouldn't be lying if I said I was a bit worried as to my father's reaction._

" _THAT IS IT! YOUNG LADY, YOU GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE RIGHT NOW!" My father burst out, sheer rage in his tone. I clenched my fists at the brief look of fear his words incurred in Mikan._

" _Oh, I'd like nothing more than to get out of this house. But I'm not leaving by myself. Aoi, Natsume, please come with me. Neither of you deserve the treatment your parents are giving you. If they can even be called parents."_

" _Please. Even if both of you go with the girl now, you'll come running back soon enough. There is nobody in this world who would take in such worthless children for longer than a single night. Nobody except us, yet you brats still aren't grateful to have such kind parents." My father calmly retorted, sitting back down in front of his laptop._

" _That's where you're wrong, Mr. Hyuuga. Neither Natsume nor Aoi is worthless. In fact, I pity you for thinking that because there is not a single person in this world who is worthless. You're always looking down on other people, never accepting others for who they are and being proud of it. Tell me, have you ever felt pride when Natsume or Aoi succeeds in something? No, right? It's because you're always looking at what they did wrong, never at what they are flourishing in. And that's where you fail as a parent. While I agree that praising your kids all the time isn't a proper parenting method either, what you're doing isn't right. The real losers here are you and your wife, and I refuse to give back Natsume and Aoi until you realize that and prove that you're worth being called parents." With those final words, Mikan grabbed my hand and Aoi's and walked out the door, determined. I didn't realize it at the time, and this will definitely sound disgustingly cheesy, but this moment was when I finally walked out of the darkness. Strangely enough, all it took was a polka-dot loving, pigtailed, clumsy little girl to lead me out._

* * *

Natsume?! WHY IS HE HERE? Wait…. WHY AM I HUGGING HIM?!

I immediately removed my arm from around his waist and gaped at the position we were currently in, both of us lying beside each other with hardly a sliver of space between our bodies. My head rested on his chest, and Natsume had his arms wrapped around me. I blushed at the thought of us so close, and that too for the whole night. The whole...night? SHIT! I quickly glanced down and relaxed upon seeing clothes on both of our bodies. At least… _that_ hadn't transpired. Doubts crept into my mind as Natsume's grip tightened around my body, causing me to blush. He's hugged me before, but to be this physically close to me... I tried to recall what happened last night and how I got into this bed but quickly drew a blank. Let's see: Natsume and I went to Hotaru's for the movie, Hotaru picked a super scary movie, we didn't have snacks so I went to get them, it was snowing pretty heavily, the lights suddenly flickered off in our cabin and... nothing. I bit my lip, frustrated at my inability to remember anything. Clearly, I missed something important, seeing how my supposed enemy and soon-to-be-husband was beside me in bed. Though I would be lying if I said being in his arms didn't make me happy. It was kind of a foreign feeling, being so secure. It's not like I didn't feel safe sleeping by myself, but somehow having a person beside me with his arms around me was different. No, that's wrong. Having Natsume beside me was what mattered; the emotions he incurred were exclusively caused by him.

Natsume still had his eyes closed, and with his tousled hair and calm expression, he almost looked like a little kid. A soft smile graced my face at the thought and I slowly reached my fingers toward his silky hair. I'd always wondered if it was as soft as it looked, and now was the perfect opportunity to check. After all, he can't tease me later on if he doesn't even know! My fingers recoiled at the contact and I hurriedly examined his face again to make sure he was still fast asleep. I let out a soft sigh and rested one finger against his hair.

 _Don't be scared, stupid! He's fast asleep_ — _besides, even if by some miracle he did wake up, it's not like I'm doing anything scandalous!_ My mind finally made up, I ran my finger down his hair. It really was as silky as it looked. I let out a soft giggle and reached another finger to touch his hair. It had almost made contact, but I immediately retracted it when I glanced down at his face and saw two crimson pools staring back at me, amused.

"N-N-N-Natsume! How, uh, long have you been awake?" I sheepishly asked, focusing all my attention on the pattern of the comforter, only to scowl when I realized it had polka-dots all over it.

"Like the pattern? It reminds me of something else...but I just can't place my finger on it. Do you remember, _Polka?"_ I let out a growl at the nickname and snapped my gaze to Natsume, who was also staring at the comforter's design, angrily.

"Do you have to be a pervert this early in the morning?" I rolled my eyes at Natsume's innocent look and tried to move out of his embrace. It was a useless effort; every time I slid a bit, Natsume would follow. I met his challenging smirk with a glare and pushed against his arms, giving up in irritation when I realized moving his grip was like trying to move a wall.

 _Damn him! Why can't I be physically stronger than him for once in my life?_ I let out a huff and finally relaxed, realizing it was pointless to try and overcome him with brute force.

"I would appreciate it if you would release me," I forced out, my irritation just barely overcoming my secret delight at being in his arms.

"And I would appreciate it if you would stop moving. Some of us are trying to sleep here, Polka." Natsume sent me a slight glare and suddenly turned, caging me directly underneath him and supporting his weight with his two arms which he positioned on either side of me. His signature scent drifted past, awakening the realization that a very attractive man (who I happened to dislike) was on top of me.

Breathe! BREATHE! It's not like he's that attractive! I mean, his hair is super messy. It doesn't matter that when my hair is messy I look like a rat stuck in a bird's nest but when his is messy he looks like he stepped out of an Abercrombie ad. And he might have really nice arms... but so do a lot of other men in this world! And his eyes are….my thoughts completely trailed off when I made the mistake of glancing at his eyes. I watched, enraptured, as they softened slightly. Natsume moved his face closer to mine and I held my breath, unsure of what to do and hardly aware of anything but him. I quickly glanced down, unable to handle what his gaze was doing to me. My eyes skimmed down his perfect, angled nose and paused before his soft lips. I blushed at my thought and skirted my eyes back up to his own, not wanting to comprehend anything to do with lips.

"What are you thinking about?" Natsume muttered in a low tone, his lips whispering against my own. A shiver ran through my body and I blushed harder at the sensation his words gave me.

"Polka?" Natsume growled impatiently.

"N...Nothing!" I squeaked, pushing my head back into the pillow to try and make some distance. Natsume only moved closer to me and I gulped, unsure of what to do, what to say or what to think.

"Somehow," Natsume began, moving his lips towards my right ear. He brushed them against my ear and whispered softly, "I don't believe you." My eyes widened at his words and I immediately turned to meet his amused gaze with my own look of panic. THWACK! I felt a shock of pain on my forehead and let out a slight groan.

"Jeez, Polka. Why is your head so damn hard?" I stared at Natsume again, who had backed up a bit and was rubbing one of his hands on his forehead, and started laughing. He just looked so ridiculous, and the situation...only I could ruin something like this through my clumsiness.

"Let me get this straight. First, you headbutt me, hard I might add, on my own forehead and then you laugh about it? Well if you really want to laugh that badly, I think I can arrange that." My laughter quickly died out at the evil tone Natsume adopted and it dawned on me what he was about to do.

"NO! NO! NO! Don't you come anywhere near me, Hyuuga!"

"So now I'm Hyuuga? Well, I think that I'd much rather you call me Natsume."

"I...I will call you that if you promise not to do what I know you want to do."

"And that would be…?"

"Don't play dumb with me, _Hyuuga!"_

"Back to Hyuuga again, are we? Well, I suppose I have no choice in the matter then."

"YES! YES you do! If you promise not to do _that,_ then I promise to call you Natsume!"

"Ah, but see, why settle for only one option when you can have them both?" My eyes widened and I tried to roll off the bed. Natsume intercepted me and pinned me on the comforter. I groaned, knowing what would follow, and stared at the villain above me with rage.

"Come now, there's no need to be so angry. Hmmm… I know something that should lighten you up a bit." I narrowed my eyes further, vowing not to laugh and immediately breaking my vow when Natsume started tickling me.

"I… haha... please! Stop...hahaha...STOP! I… hahahahah… I can't take this… haha...I'm sorry that...haha...I...hahah...LAUGHED...at….you!"

"Hmmm… I suppose that apology suffices. But I'm afraid you forgot something." Natsume lazily replied, continuing his attack.

 _UGH! This is so humiliating! And I can't even get revenge on him because he doesn't_ have _any ticklish spots!_

"Fi...hahah...Fine! NATSUME! Please...hahahahaha...stop!" Natsume smirked at me and finally removed his hands. I caught my breath and finally pouted at him before turning my head away from him to signify my "anger." Although to be perfectly honest, I just didn't want to let him off the hook that easily.

"Acting upset now, are we? Well, I suppose I could always just contin—"

"NO!" I frantically turned back towards Natsume. Dang, I completely forgot for a second there that I was up against someone who didn't have any qualms about playing unfairly.

Natsume smiled at me and I found myself blushing at his smile. He was always smirking, and sure he looked handsome (not that he'd ever hear it from my lips), but when he smiled it took my breath away. He stroked my cheek softly and leaned closer. My heart rate tripled and from the heat on my face I knew I was blushing.

"Mikan, I—"

SLAM! "Hey guys, are you awake ye—oh." Both Natsume and I whirled our heads towards the door where an amused Hotaru and a flustered Ruka stood watching.

"We're interrupting, aren't we? Well, this is awkward. Uhhhh, we'll just leave, don't mind us. You can get back to whatever it was that you were doing, and we'll just pretend that this never happ—" CLICK! Ruka, soundly interrupted, glanced at the raven-haired beauty beside him and let out a soft chuckle. I followed his gaze, saw the newly printed photo of Natsume and me and let out a gasp of shock.

 _This is_ so _not good! She's going to blackmail me with that photo forever now!_ I blushed, embarrassed, and pushed against Natsume so he would get off before my so-called "best friend" could take more scandalous photos. He sent me a slight glare but obliged me and we both sat up on the bed. I stared down at the comforter, refusing to meet anyone's gaze and ignoring the tingling sensation that caused goosebumps due to Natsume's stare. I felt Natsume tense up a bit before letting out a sigh.

"Well, now that you've barged in here—"

"Sorry, Natsume. "

"—what's for breakfast? I hope that Hotaru cooked because we all know how hopeless you are in the kitchen Ruka," Natsume finished, slinking off the bed and heading toward our friends.

"HEY! I am not that bad of a cook! Right, Mikan?" I glanced up at the three of them finally, noting Hotaru's amused look and Natsume's blank stare. Ruka winked at me and I let out a breath of relief before getting out of bed myself.

"Right, Ruka! Burnt toast happens to be one of my favorite breakfast items!" I replied in a chirpy tone, grinning at Ruka's pout as I walked past him.

* * *

I sighed, pondering over the events this morning. I pictured Natsume and bit my lip in confusion. Was he...about to kiss me this morning? But that doesn't make any sense! I thought that he...well, I know he hated me when we first met. I don't think he hates me now, but to suddenly be this close to kissing me?

Not to mention my reaction to him, and even worse the disappointment I felt when Ruka and Hotaru interrupted. Almost like...

 _I_ wanted _to be kissed by him._ I immediately shook my head at the thought and glanced back at the task before me with a frown. Natsume Hyuuga sure was distracting, I thought, as I glanced at the puke-colored frosting I made by accident. Well, I'm sure the judges would love a rainbow of this color. _Not._ I sighed and tossed the frosting in the trash, setting the bowl in the sink to wash later. Even the frosting for this cake wasn't working out, and that was supposed to be the easiest thing! I groaned in frustration as I pictured the cake in my recipe book. Sure, it looked great on the page! Maybe I can even make it look good in real life! But taste? Forget about it. That boy in my flashback, dream, memory—whatever it was—said it himself.

" _Think about it—each flavor would clash with the next and it would be gross to eat,"_ I mimicked in my mind, the scene still fresh in my memory. That's exactly what the boy had said, and he was indeed correct. Or rather...that boy was Natsume when he was a kid; at least that's what I had deduced after all these experiences. I shuddered, rolling the idea of actually being close to Natsume as a kid, and felt the headache that normally accompanied such thoughts arise. Not in the mood to deal with more problems, I quickly banished all thoughts related to the flashbacks and turned back to the many failed creations before me. At first, I had tried making seven different, concentric rings, each having a distinct flavor, and while it looked like a rainbow, it tasted disgusting. Each flavor mixed with the next and it was overall cacophonous. In the second attempt, I tried using different flavors for the colors, substituting orange with peach, and changing the red velvet to strawberry, but that didn't really help with the flavor fiasco. In my latest attempt, I baked a bundt cake with seven separate blocks, instead of the rings, and while the flavors no longer mixed so horrendously, it was just...drab. It wasn't the cake that I was going for and I gave a disappointed sigh. I glanced back at the sketch in the recipe book and decided to give it one more try.

"Well, well this is quite the sight indeed. Polka-dots, deep in thought. Better be careful, lest you hurt yourself." I groaned, not at all in the mood to endure Natsume's irritable taunts.

"Look, Natsume, I don't have time for this. Would you please, and I mean _please,_ leave me alone?" I calmly requested, knowing that pitching a fit is exactly the kind of response he was probably looking for. I could feel Natsume's gaze on my back and tried to tune him out by staring at my cake, which was...an even worse morale booster. I let out a sigh of exasperation and was about to shut the recipe book beside me when Natsume placed his palm on top of the page with the rainbow cake. I jumped a bit and immediately moved to the side, not expecting Natsume to just appear next to me.

"Are you making the cake for the competition? This is it, right?" Natsume inquired, pointing flippantly at the sketch of the rainbow cake I had made as a kid. He glanced at me and I caught his eye for a moment before hastily looking away when I remembered how close his gaze was this morning. I felt my cheeks getting warm from the memories and immediately turned my head away from Natsume so he wouldn't see. I tried to calm down and bury this morning in a location far away from the present, only to fail miserably when I finally chanced a look at the man next to me and felt the urge to touch his super soft hair.

"Polka?" Natsume questioned, his tone low. Ack, even his voice made me think of this morning! What was wrong with me?! I took my hands and slapped my cheeks a couple of times to force myself to focus on the conversation right now.

"What the hell are you doing?" Natsume asked, an eyebrow raised. I finally looked back at him and let out a sheepish laugh, realizing how stupid I looked to him.

 _Not like that's anything new to him._

"Ahahah….nothing! I just...uh, well, yes!"

"Yes?" Natsume questioned, looking a little confused. I sighed, before forcing myself to take a deep breath and calm down.

"Yes, I'm working on the cake for the competition. It's not going so well though…" I trailed off, scowling at the mess in the sink.

"I figured that much out," Natsume responded, his gaze swiping across the kitchen. I followed his gaze and shrugged self-consciously.

"I know it's a bit of a mess, but I promise I'll—"

"I know."

"Oh. Uh…" I stopped awkwardly, not sure how to continue this conversation. I turned back to my second try at the cake perched on the counter nearby, the one with the peach and strawberry flavors, and bit my lip.

 _Not only is my cake a flop, but I can't even talk to Natsume for longer than five seconds without feeling awkward or making a fool of myself._

Natsume stared at me for a few moments before frowning slightly. I shifted on my feet uneasily and turned back to the recipe book.

"Hmmm...The flavors are clashing. Although, I guess it looks nice." I faced Natsume and was shocked to see he had put a piece in his mouth. Even Natsume figured out what my problem with this cake was, and that too from just one bite.

"Yes, that's exactly what I thought. I tried making the cake with a variety of different flavors representing the different colors, but in every case the flavors all clashed and became too overwhelming. I finally tried to make the cake with different sectors of the cake, instead of the rings, representing the rainbow and with each one thus being a different flavor but…"

"Let me guess, the flavors didn't clash but it wasn't the cake you were going for?" I looked up, shocked that Natsume had guessed my sentiments exactly.

"How did you—"

"Oh, come on. It's obvious from the expression of disappointment on your face, Polka."

"Oh." What the hell was I supposed to say now? I frantically searched the depths of my brain for some topic to bring up and turned to Natsume when I finally picked one. The man in question wasn't even looking at me, however, instead staring at the recipe book intently. My words froze on my lips and I watched curiously as Natsume observed the cake he had tasted carefully.

"Natsume?" I asked, stunned when he didn't respond whatsoever. He appeared to be in his own world and I finally opted to lean against the counter and wait for him to come back to our world.

"You know," Natsume started after a few minutes of silence, "I think you're already close to figuring out a solution, Polka."

"What?" I questioned, still a bit surprised that he was finally talking to me again. Natsume rolled his eyes at me before turning back to the cake and smirking.

"Why don't you combine both ideas? When actually flavoring the cake, make it like the one you just made with the sections. You could have seven sections going from the center of the cake all the way out to the edge, with each one being a different flavor."

"But isn't that what I already have?"

"Yes, but your problem with it was the way it looked right? So why don't you make the flavoring in sections, but then make it _look_ like the seven concentric rings of a rainbow? Such as in your first couple tries." I widened my eyes, never considering just combining the ideas. Although now that Natsume mentioned it, I felt really stupid for never considering it. After pondering the idea a bit more, I felt a spark of excitement and immediately an urge to bake the cake.

"You're right! I could definitely make it look like the rings, but then with the flavoring, have each sector be a different flavor! In fact, maybe I could find a complementary frosting flavor made from all the seven sector flavors that could be colored differently to create the seven rings!"

"Yeah, that sounds pretty cool. You know, you could also add a filling or something inside the cake—that's what it's called right, a filling?"

"Yeah, that would a filling," I confirmed.

"Right, well, what if you matched a complementary flavor in the filling? Let's say you were in the section that represented yellow. Maybe lemon flavored, or something like that. You could make the filling the complementary color and flavor, so in this case, since the complement of yellow is purple, maybe make the filling lavender flavored, or something purple that would go with lemon," Natsume advised, his smirk still in place. I let out a light laugh and spun in happiness. The whole complementary flavor thing was a great idea!

"I take it you like my idea then?"

"Oh! I absolutely love it! Thank you so much, Natsume!" I exclaimed, wrapping my arms around him in a hug. I immediately backed away, shocked at my own actions, after realizing what happened. A quick glance at Natsume, who stared at me a bit amused and, dare I say it…. Happy? He smirked at me and my cheeks grew warm.

"Uh, Natsume," I hastily broke the silence, trying to distract him from what I just did. "I think that now I know what to do for this cake, but I don't think I'll be able to make it until we get back to Japan. This kitchen is pretty good, but it doesn't quite have all the tools and flavors I'll need for this cake."

"Hnnnn." I rolled my eyes at his typical-Natsume response.

"I guess I'll clean up and start on dinner then. Especially since we need to start packing tonight, seeing how Ruka and Hotaru told us this morning that Sheila, that scatterbrained flight representative, had called and informed them there's a flight tomorrow back to Japan. It's sort of...strange to finally be going home," I stated, smiling softly at the thought of seeing my family again. My smile quickly faded as I realized that things between Natsume and I would probably change when we went back. For one, I guess I wouldn't see him as often as I do now...and as much as it pained me to admit it, the thought saddens me greatly.

"Right, well I'd better finalize a couple things for this deal before you finish dinner," Natsume responded, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Ok then!" I sent him a grin before turning back to the sink.

"Let me know when dinner is ready... Apples," Natsume waved behind him and I immediately looked up. What was he…my eyes widened as I comprehended what he said.

"NATSUME HYUUGA! YOU BLOODY PERVERT! DON'T YOU JUST LEAVE LIKE THAT! H-HEY!" I shrieked, blushing furiously. I heard Natsume's low chuckle as he left and my rage boiled inside. When the hell did that guy even get the chance to see? Agh! I knew wearing a dress today was a terrible idea!

 _Yet I still can't get any of our interactions out of my head._ I scowled at the thought, because according to every source—the internet, magazines, Hotaru—the reason behind that is, apparently, that I've fallen in love with him. I scoffed at the notion every time Hotaru tried to mention it, but after today I wasn't so sure anymore. Natsume can be hard to get along with, a bit mean and a pervert all the time, but even then he has some good qualities. Like just now: helping me with the cake and all. I frowned and placed a hand on my still-warm cheek. As much as I hated to admit it...I'm starting to believe they were all right.

 _I think that...I might be... in love with Natsume Hyuuga._

* * *

Wooooo! I finally finished this chapter! And Mikan finally realized she's in love with our very favorite black cat! I hope you guys enjoyed the fluff :D

Also, don't hate Natsume's parents too much. To be honest, I never planned for them to be this horrible….I guess I've been watching too many soap operas lately ahaha….They sure came out a lot nastier than I expected. But don't worry, I happen to hate broken families and this story is most certainly NOT a tragedy in any way, shape or form! ;)

Finally, I hope that you all understood my solution for the rainbow cake! In Kitchen Princess, the cake appears to be made with the seven concentric rings, and I assumed each ring was a different flavor. (Plus Seiya Mizuno's awesome flowers on top, which may make an appearance teehee). When I try and imagine mixing all the flavors, I feel like it would be a bit too much in one bite! This way, it still looks like the cake, but the flavor issue is taken care of with just having the cake split into seven separate pieces and each one being a flavor that represents a color in the rainbow.

Ummm...if you guys have ideas for flavors for each color, I totally wouldn't mind (and by this I mean PLEASE HELP) hearing them!

Thanks for reading, and I'll try to update soon this time! Next chapter finally gets out of the cabin setting! It's back to Tokyo (a place which I've never been! That'll be a blast to write about hahah). Let me know what you think (and if you're even enjoying this story ahaha...sweatdrops).

Arigato! (Oh and total random side note, but I'm taking Japanese in college! Yay!)

~Breezylyn


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